


Soul's Reflection

by xT_Zealot



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumblebee - Freeform, F/F, Pseudo-Novelization, Soulbound Semi-AU, White Rose Shipbuilding, here we go again, volume 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-03-11 14:31:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 202,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3329669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xT_Zealot/pseuds/xT_Zealot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this. Time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever. Nights like these are ones we'll never forget."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Best Day Ever

**Author's Note:**

> *sighs and rubs temples* Wasn't expecting on doing this but here...we...go. Again.

It weighed only a couple ounces more than pound when his fingers closed over the rectangular shape of the item. It was firm but gave slightly in his grip.

Tukson couldn't and wouldn't forget the feel of a perfectly good book.

Back in his village outside of the kingdom, books had been a cherished commodity. Though pushing past the age of thirty, he hadn't experienced the wartime era that Remnant had pulled itself out of nearly eighty years ago but his parents had passed down the tragedies and the wisdom that they and their parents had gone through and learned from during then. It had been an era where human and faunus fought amongst each other, when governments attempted to oppress and control both species, and during all that the Grimm had been lost in a frenzy as all the hatred and negativity served to rile them up and launch their own assaults, interfering and feasting on survivors of a battle between their most hated enemies or overwhelming entire villages that had been left to fend for themselves while the kingdoms warred against one another.

His village had been one of the luckier ones to not only make it out in one piece but thrive during and after the end of the great war. Over the years, refugees fleeing from the beleaguered kingdoms to escape the violence and the oppression would either take shelter in the scattered villages, create their own, or choose to lead the life of nomads who constantly traveled to avoid not only the Grimm but the mobilizing armies. While the advantage was more able bodies to work the fields and maintain the village, there was always the risk of stretching resources to feed and shelter them while those same refugees could attract the Grimm due to the trauma of their exodus that they carried with them, dooming everyone else.

But they persevered and survived - all of them. The population of his village in particular was a mix of faunus and humans. While racial conflict was an intricate part of history between them, when the entire world was going to Hell with both suffering for it, the need to endure tossed aside their previous grievances in order to help one another. That was probably one of the reasons that their village survived while others were never heard from again: their willingness to establish peace when everyone else was busy killing each other.

With all the dangers surrounding them and the struggle for a suitable supply of food and water being paramount, books and other material items should've been the least of their concerns. Yet many of the refugees who found a new home in the village had come with books, paintings, and other forms of art and expression that were heavily coveted. As was later known, one of the memorable aspects of the war was the attempted destruction of all forms of self-expression and individualism, something which people believed they were triumphing over by salvaging and guarding these artworks.

It was that lesson in particular that stuck with Tukson, his parents having encouraged him to read what they traded and borrowed so that he could see for himself the importance of the freedom of speech and literacy. It stayed with him when they were granted citizenship in Vale years later after the war was officially declared as over. While the kingdoms began reconnecting and even resupplying villages such as his with airdrops, there came the chance for those previously evicted from their homes to return and settle back down with village-born citizens soon being given the chance to become city residents.

Later, with the help of a certain faunus peace organization, this offer was extended to faunus villagers as well as humans.

Those were the grander days, long since passed.

Since then, Tukson had gone from the occasional book being passed around between his fellow villagers to the line of shelves that he now navigated through, stopping and pulling out one of the dozens of tomes that filled each one while he mentally crossed off a title that was on his invisible checklist. Some he selected were to fulfill orders that were to be picked up later in the day while others were just meant to fill some of the holes that had been made at the front of the book store.

 _His_ book store, a fact which he commemorated when he named it: _Tukson's Book Trade_.

It hadn't been that difficult to get it off the ground. With technology as it was, many nowadays had turned to screens and bytes of data instead of bound paper pages. A good portion of the books he acquired were from people who were all but giving them away for free, something which he had quietly lamented on even as his stockpile grew. A lot of the smaller book shops had closed down but he'd managed to keep his aloft with business that wasn't grand but was enough for a comfortable living while retaining his shop.

The store itself, and the rest of his books, he obtained through some help from the White Fang. The same group that gave his family a chance of a life in the city and it was that group that they had become a part of so that other faunus would be given the same chances that they had.

It was that group that he was a part of still...but not for long.

As he exited one row of shelves and began to enter another in his quest to finish the rest of his list, he happened to glance over and spot his desk in the corner. It was where he conducted most of his business, using the low-scale, flatscreen computer monitor and physical keyboard to keep up with his inventory, place orders, and other tasks of similar nature. Hanging on the wall above the desk was a small piece of blue cloth of which the design of a white wolf head had been made upon it.

 _Grander days indeed,_ he thought to himself.

His parents had passed away before the White Fang had changed more than just their symbol and Tukson had always taken relief in that but, at the same time, wondered if things would've turned out better had they been around to possibly dissuade him when he chose to stay. Without them, he only had their stories and the ones in his books that glorified the acts of going against oppression, even if that meant with violent means.

The ties that bound the war-weary generation of the great war became undone with the introduction of the next. Vale's doors had closed themselves off to outsiders - faunus outsiders in particular - while those who were already in had begun to take insults and threats from humans who were beginning to see their presence as a blemish on their otherwise perfect lives. While Tukson was a faunus who's traits weren't as visible - he was pretty sure most of his customers, even his regulars, didn't know about his heritage -, he had received death threats and demands to close down 'or else'. He knew that things were much, _much_ worse for faunus throughout the rest of Remnant, especially those who worked in a more industrialized kingdom like Atlas.

So when the White Fang became increasingly ignored and they chose to use violence to get their demands across, Tukson went along with them.

He was no saint. He had blood on his hands. Being in the White Fang for this long and being in this deep, it was required for members to get a good, long soaking. His efforts, which had started off as providing shelter and relaying information, went high into the levels of brutality when the White Fang began gaining more power and prominence in Vale as time went on. He didn't take any pride in some of the things he'd done, but he considered them as necessary. As brutal as they became, there was still a measure of honor that the White Fang upheld. There was still sense to all of it.

 _But now?_ he questioned, pulling out another book and setting it on the growing pile in his one arm. _Madness._

That was the only way to describe the situation now. Many had already chosen to back out because of it and why wouldn't they? The humans that they had chosen to fight against were now in control of their operations - at least in Vale but who's to say it wasn't the case elsewhere? It wasn't unheard of for agents to enlist the help of humans to get what they needed, usually with bribery and threats against their families. Valuable intel and resources could be gained through such methods but those were small, temporary arrangements.

But then there was this group of humans that somehow weaseled into their ranks. They brought weapons and other valuable equipment but it had gone beyond that. The faunus they'd been supplying they now commanded and Tukson had come face-to-face with them before and seen for himself just what kind of humans they were: disgusting, loathsome criminals that thought themselves above the animals that they'd associated with, the faunus able to sense the aura of arrogance and mockery that they gave off whenever they were around.

And faunus had _died_ because of them. The ones who'd chosen to back out were eliminated whether at the hands of these humans or with orders that had come from them which their leaders then relayed to their own assassins without question. All for the sake of this plan that Tukson had managed to catch wind of...

It became too much. If what he heard and what he saw was true, then this was all only the beginning. Innocent faunus lives were to be sacrificed, all for a goal that he couldn't understand anymore. Worse yet, he didn't know who's goals they were anymore; theirs or these humans'.

Which was why he was leaving Vale. He already had his bags packed and a one-way ticket to Vacuo where the White Fang's influence hadn't reached. He recently finished secret negotiations with a buyer for his shop and today he would sell what he could to make the most of what he could. He could never escape from the sins he committed and he prayed fruitlessly every night since his decision for forgiveness but he could at least get away before the worst was to come.

 _It'll be over soon_ , he assured himself, trying to calm his nerves. When he found the last book he needed and created two separate towers to carry to the front of the store, he told himself that he just needed to get through this last day and he could leave it all behind. Once he left Vale, so too would he leave all this insanity and he could find a nice, quiet place to spend the rest of his years in peace.

When he began to hum a tune to himself, he found it working. Banishing the troubles from his mind and replacing them with the feel and smell of worn books, he started to relax. He just needed to focus on work and he'd be done in no time.

As if on cue, the bell at the front counter suddenly rang, signaling the arrival of a customer.

"Be right there!" Tukson called. Taking the two heavy stacks of books in his arms, he backed through the swinging door that separated the front from the backstock. His vision blocked, he nonetheless greeted his customers. "Welcome to _Tukson's Book Trade_ : home to every book under the sun."

His heavy, gruff voice can be quite intimidating but when it came to dealing with customers for so long, he tamed it with enough confidence and friendliness that many of them admitted to being soothed by it. Setting the books at the end of the counter, he turned to continue welcoming his customer with a polite, "How may- uh..."

His breath briefly got caught in his throat when he sighted the girl who stood on the other side of the counter and one could blame it on her appearance. She had a thin, hourglass frame of brown skin which was plainly obvious due to how little she wore; a shallow-cut, olive undershirt that hid only what it was supposed to, leaving her flat stomach and curves of her waist totally exposed. The white top itself was just as revealing and exotic, open at the front to reveal the undershirt with a thin strip of fabric running beneath her chest while two thicker ones crisscrossed at her collar to circle around her neck. Similarly-white pants with brown chaps hugged her slender legs, ending at her calves, and a thick leather belt was wound twice around her hips, supporting a pair of holsters at her back where grips of what seemed to be two pistols protruded off to the sides. The weapons – or an armed teen in general - were not an unusual sight around Vale, what with the nearby Beacon Academy.

A friendly smile was on her smooth face, framed by mint-green hair that was chin-length save for the two long locks that hung down her back. As for her eyes, they were a startling color of dark, blood red.

Tukson only needed a second to recover and hoped that it was quick enough as he pleasantly asked, "How may I help you?"

"Just browsin'," came the reply, but not from the girl. Behind her, standing near the door with a book already in hand, was probably her companion: a boy about her age if not older - Tukson guessed they were on the cusp of adulthood -, although much paler. Tall, well-built, with slicked back silver-gray hair that was unkempt at the front. His eyes matched his hair as did one tone of the zip-up jacket and pants, the other tone being black. A bandana of some sort hung from his belt but Tukson couldn't make out the design that was on it. He didn't look armed but he was definitely armored, thin plates covering his arms and the back of his hands. Heavier, bulkier greaves covered his shins and the front of his boots.

"Actually, I was wondering..." the girl suddenly spoke, her voice light and pleasant. Leaning against the counter and better showing off the beads and armband that were around her left arm, she asked, "Do you have any copies of _The Thief and The Butcher_?"

The name came instantly to Tukson as well as its availability as he nodded. "Yes, we do."

"That's great." She said nothing more, fixing him with that smile that had the addition of pearly-white teeth.

"Would you...like a copy?" Tukson asked after a few more moments of silence.

"No. Just wondering."

There came a _slam_ from behind the girl, attracting her and Tukson's attention to the young man who had loudly closed a book which he was now returning to its place as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. Tukson took a moment to steady his heart that had jumped at the noise.

"Oh, oh!" Turning back around to face him, the girl asked, "What about _Violet's Garden_? In paperback."

A more classical piece of literature but before Tukson could reply, the boy lifted a book up. "He's got it. Hardback, too."

"Ooh, options are nice," she commented.

"Eh, no pictures." Closing the book with another, one-handed _slam_ , he dropped it onto the table before swiveling to Tukson. "Hey, do you have any comics?"

"Near the front," Tukson informed, his store possessing its own section for 'visual novels'. There was still a decent demand for them, typically from collectors who found more value with physical copies.

"Oh! No, wait!" Drawing back to the girl, it was to see her leaning a bit more over the counter, her expression changing. Her smile had thinned, those red eyes narrowing intently - uncomfortably so - and her next words were equally intense and slow. "What about... _Third Crusade_?"

"Um..." Here Tukson paused and he witnessed the girl take note of it, her lips curving into another smile that was less pleasant and more victorious. At her back, the boy was giving them unique attention, standing still with another book in hand.

Tukson furrowed his brow, attempting to recollect whether he had it or not. The _Third Crusade_ was a fictional recounting of one of the ancient conflicts, supposedly the conflict that led to the establishment of Mistral when humankind, after the construction of Vale and Vacuo on Vytal, attempted and succeeded in developing a kingdom in another of Remnant's continents, creating the Mistral Trade Route; an unobstructed sea lane between Mistral and Vacuo. The book itself had its own measure of infamy and criticism, particularly concerning the character of the human general who rallied the support needed for his campaign and, later, obtaining the help of various tribes of faunus natives who he stumbled upon shortly after landing.

The general got his victory, but as for the promises he made to the faunus...they did not turn out so well and the author had a rather controversial opinion concerning the faunus in general that was quite apparent in his writing.

That controversy was a reason why Tukson didn't have it...and he wondered if the girl knew that too. Admitting defeat, Tukson replied, "I...don't think we carry that one."

A third _slam_. "Oh," the boy echoed.

"What was this place called again?" the mintette questioned, her smile and voice no longer sweet, now tainted with a measure of familiar mocking.

Tukson didn't let it rattle him, evenly stating, " _Tukson's Book Trade_."

"And...you're Tukson?"

He nodded. "That's right."

"So then I take it that you're the one who came up with the catchphrase?"

"Yes."

"And what was it again?" the paler human queried.

Tukson sighed. He knew where this was going. " _Tukson's Book Trade_ : home to every book under the sun."

" _Except_ the _Third Crusade_ ," came the rude counter.

He shrugged. "It's just a catchphrase."

"It's false advertising!"

"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep, Tukson." The girl's smile had completely vanished with that. Her brows lowered threateningly, those blood red eyes taking on a more menacing appearance. "I hear you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo..."

The lights suddenly dimmed and the suspicion that Tukson had developed when he noted how the boy hadn't moved an inch from the door proved to be valid. A suspicion of how it was a perfectly good spot to keep anyone from leaving - or entering - the store. It also kept him in reach of the light switches, his fingers passing over another so that another section of lighting went out.

It did horrible things to the girl's darkening expression. "Your brothers in the White Fang wouldn't be happy to hear that. And neither are we."

Her companion slid his fingers along the last switch, plunging the room into near-darkness. Enough for Tukson's night vision to compensate, letting him see the arrogant smirk of the girl as plain as day. "You know who we are, don't you?"

Tukson stood rigidly behind the counter. He knew who they were. He knew as soon as he laid his eyes on her. "Yes."

"And...you know why we're here?"

"Yes," he confirmed quietly. He took a slow step backwards but knew it was useless. There was no back entrance - no other way out from the truth that had followed them as soon as they entered his shop:

He was about to die.

"So...are you going to fight back?"

Her silvery-haired partner had already moved further into the store, stopping only a few steps behind her to cover her back. He had that same look on his face as she did: that despicable, smug look that told him that they knew that it was pointless. That, to them, he was nothing more than a bug that needed to be exterminated like the several others that perished whether by their hands or commands. The only thing that he could do to make it easier for them was to roll over and die.

But he wasn't going to. Not to these _humans_!

"YES!" he snarled. His hands snapped at his sides, claws unsheathing before he was leaping onto the counter. A similar change happened in his mouth, teeth lengthening into fangs that he bared towards the two as he growled. To his pleasure, both stepped back at his show of his resistance and he leaped at the girl, intending to slash her face before she had a chance to go for her holstered weapons.

She ducked, his claws just missing her hair as he went over her. When he directed his gaze to the boy, it was to see that he had already recovered and, at this angle, Tukson could see what he hadn't seen before concerning his greaves: the line of shells that were loaded and roped around his ankles. He got an even closer look when the boy lifted his foot and aimed a kick right into the faunus when he was still in mid-air.

There was a loud, deafening _bang_ and what felt like a sledgehammer slamming right into his face. The force carried him up, head smacking into the ceiling, and when he fell it was to get hit with another powerful blast into his chest that sent him back the way he came, knocking over the stacks of books he placed on the counter before dropping to the floor.

For a while Tukson couldn't hear anything and his vision swam, refusing to center itself. His chest felt numb and his limbs weren't obeying him, leaving him partially slumped against the wall. Red began to slowly spread across his vision which finally stilled, letting him see that the color was due to a growing pool of blood that spread around his splayed legs. It was a struggle to keep his eyes open and he could barely breathe; nothing was coming through his nose and when he tried to breathe through his mouth he felt something sticky and wet blocking his airway.

When two pairs of feet came within sight, there was nothing he could do as he couldn't so much as lift his head. It took all he had just to stay awake. The only thing he could do was listen.

"A bit anti-climactic," he barely made out, the voice he heard male. "For all the fuss and how long it took to find this place, I was expecting him to be tougher."

"What did you expect?" came the other, the girl's. "Just another mutt like all the rest. Only good they are is to fight and die where we tell them to."

Even so far gone and in so much pain, the rage managed to break through at hearing the words. Yet no matter how much came to him, there was nowhere near enough for him to do anything. He still tried, attempting to push himself up while a wet, guttural noise that could barely be considered as a vengeful growl broke through.

"Doesn't even have the sense to know when he's already dead." A pause. "Well, this was your idea. Want to do the honors?"

"You can be such a gentleman when you try, Mercury."

"I'll try to do it less."

One of those pistols that the girl had been carrying came into view: an olive-colored revolver with a thick barrel. The added thickness turned out to be a folded blade which partially flipped and extended, gaining a sickle-like appearance. It was like a mantis's claw that was being prepped to take his head off.

"I'll be in the comics section when you're done," her companion spoke one last time, the armored greaves and boots stepping away, out of view.

"Won't take more than a second."

 _Not like...this,_ Tukson denied, his thoughts seemingly immersed in a drunken haze. He had sworn when he first took on the White Fang's cause that if he was to die it wasn't to be like this: at the feet of those who looked down upon his kind as these two did, waiting for slaughter. No matter how much he tried though, there was nothing he could do as that claw lifted and disappeared, his body unable to do anything but bleed out.

_Not like-_

When the claw came back down, it ended that thought and his life.

* * *

"Man, that's harsh," Neptune commented.

"So then we were fighting side-by-side, and she was super fast, and I threw a banana at a guy – which sounds gross – but was _awesome_!"

Trust his partner to get into trouble when left by himself. They had been informed since the beginning of the year that, with the coming of the Vytal Festival, teams from their school Haven Academy would be selected to take part in activities such as the tournament and even attending missions within the territory of Vale. The actual selection didn't come until near the end of the first semester, and Team SSSN had been one of the lucky ones chosen to go.

As was usually the case, Sun wasn't one for waiting. When you tell him that he's going to Vale, the part of 'within the next couple weeks' kind of flies right over his head. Which was why, when Scarlet and Sage came to him with an inquiry of Sun's whereabouts, Neptune knew that the monkey faunus was probably on the first boat out of Mistral as they spoke. There was nothing that they could really do except cover for him and wait until their assigned travel date on one of the vessels that Haven booked to transport their students.

Sure enough, after arriving at Vale's docks and traveling to the nearby skyport to take an airship to Beacon, Sun was waiting for them at the platform as soon as they disembarked and couldn't wait to drag Neptune away and regale him with retellings of his latest adventure while Scarlet and Sage were left to figure out their assigned lodging for the entirety of their stay.

And, Neptune had to admit, out of all the mischief that Sun had pulled off – some of which Neptune had been roped into as an accomplice -, this one took the cake. Faunus extremists, a high-profile criminal, attempted theft of crate-loads of Dust – all because of a girl who happened to catch his eye while fleeing from police after disembarking from a ship that, as Neptune predicted, Sun had stowed away on.

So there was nothing but admiration in his voice as he complimented, "Nice!"

"Right?" Grinning, Sun continued leading him through Beacon's courtyard with an excited spring to his step, having been supplementing his story with wild hand motions. "And the best is: she's a faunus!" A hand suddenly flew to his mouth, Sun's eyes going wide, and a second later he stressed, "But that's a secret, okay?"

"Got it," Neptune responded with a note of exasperation. This was far from the first time that Sun let him in on a secret, typically in this manner.

And Sun knew what usually happened afterwards. "And not a, 'I'm gonna tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back' secret. I'm talking _secret_ , secret."

"Woah, chill out, man, okay? I got it." He lifted his knuckles and lightly tapped his partner on the shoulder as he repeated, "I got it."

"You better."

Neptune snorted derisively.

"I just don't wanna screw this up, ya know? The people here are the coolest! No offence to you guys."

"None taken," Neptune assured, knowing how important this was to Sun. It had been the same when they started in Haven, Neptune having first met the faunus who would end up as his teammate and partner when Sun had only recently moved from Vacuo. Suffice to say, switching away from a desert kingdom had its own bumps with Sun's preference for lighter clothing that he left open like all his shirts being the least of his concerns. They were multiplied due to his heritage and being thrust into a combat school.

They got along well though; him and Sun and, later, Sage and Scarlet. Before that, there was that nervousness that Sun exuded now at finding himself in yet another new kingdom, in another new combat school, and another host of new faces that he wanted to make a good impression on. As excited as he was and how easygoing and confident he could appear, he was no more immune to first day jitters as anyone else.

And although he wasn't sure about how cool the people here were, Beacon was already proving to have a fair share of attractive-looking ladies and Neptune had his attention momentarily pulled away by a giggling pair who were passing them. Catching their eyes, he threw them a wink and his signature grin of sparkling white teeth and was satisfied when they returned it with embarrassed smiles of their own and slight duckings of their heads.

Yeah, he was liking it here already. It helped that Beacon uniforms were nearly identical to Haven ones, particularly when it came to skirt lengths. But then there were the bunch of killjoys with their trousers and jackets. Seriously, they weren't in Atlas anymore. Weren't they hot in those things?

"Okay, they're just in here," Sun said, pointing to the large double doors of the larger building that Neptune guessed was the cafeteria, Sun having mentioned that the friends he wanted to introduce him to should be at lunch by now. Sun stopped him before they ventured in. "I'm really excited for you to meet them so…be cool, okay? You're gonna be cool, right?"

Neptune quirked a brow. "Dude." What became a reflex, Neptune straightened into a posture that included arms crossed loosely over his chest and a slight angling of his head to better catch the sun so that his teeth could sparkle once more.

Sun nodded, convinced. "Good point."

He wasn't usually one for self-flattery but Neptune would be remiss if he didn't say that he had been writing the book on how to be cool since before Haven. Lesson one: girls were a lot less interested in the condensing of power sources and alternating energy currents to provide more cutting power to bladed weaponry – his weapon, obviously, being the prime example – as they were to upturned jacket collars, straps, and tinted goggles worn beneath undercut hair. Blue hair in his case which made it all the better.

Lots of hits and misses when it came to those learning experiences. He intended to be more on target with Beacon now that he learned from his previous mistakes.

Nothing that he learned could've prepared him for what awaited them when Sun opened the cafeteria doors and they stepped inside.

"FOOD FIGHT!"

The call was taken up by a mass of fleeing students who rushed by them, forcing Neptune to step out of the way of some of them unless he be trampled. His partner wasn't disturbed in the least, standing where he was with students running past him, the largest grin he ever had on his face as he stared into the center of the cafeteria.

When the horde had emptied out of the building, Neptune was finally able to see what the commotion was about…and he had no idea as to what it was that he was seeing. _What the…?_

* * *

Blake couldn't even fathom how it came to this.

This: tables that had once been perfectly aligned and topped with food having been toppled, scattering their contents throughout what had become a battleground. What survivors that could have fled, clearing out to make way for the rise of the new ruler who claimed dominion over this swathe of territory within Beacon's grounds.

She was standing high upon her monument that signaled her conquest: a number of tables that had been repurposed for the construction of her makeshift castle that had her standing triumphantly above her conquest. With hands on her hips, chest jutting out, her victorious laughter carried as far as the walls would allow it. As did her declaration.

"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"

At Nora's right hand and one level below her was Pyrrha, the champion of Mistral standing firm with arms crossed. Further down, Ren and Jaune guarded the base of their queen's domain upon pedestals of knocked over vending machines of _Dr. Piper_ and _People Like Grapes_ soda _._

Their position seemed indomitable and succeeded in chasing away the minor rabble. One must wonder how this self-proclaimed queen and her soldiers could be overcome.

Ruby Rose was more than ready to try. Stomping her foot upon one of the few remaining benches left standing, the younger leader stabbed a finger towards the opposing team, a carton of _Udder Satisfaction_ milk clutched in her hand as she promised, "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" She crushed the carton, milk squirting between her clenched fingers. She held the remains up as a show of her defiance and finished, "It will be…DELICIOUS!"

The justice she called for was for the assault of one of her subjects: a one Weiss Schnee. A small skirmish between Nora and Yang – flinging and catching food with their mouths that they passed to one another – had unfortunately caught the innocent Weiss in the crossfire in time for her to get a face full of pie, thrown by none other than the mistress of Magnhild. As wars tended to go, one declaration of conflict led to another until the entirety of RWBY and JNPR had become involved.

So at her leader's call, what could Blake possibly do other than stand with the rest of her teammates, fists raised high in the air as they all shouted, "YEAH!"

Nora grinned maniacally at the opposition before she sent out her order of battle. "Off with their heads!" She jumped from her perch, hands clutching a table full of uncut watermelons, and with a heave she catapulted them all towards the forces of RWBY. Her subjects were quick to follow, retrieving and throwing their own fruity missiles to support the volley.

Ruby stared up at the incoming projectiles, undaunted as she ordered, "Yang, turkey!"

Her sister obeyed instantly, taking the lead as she rolled on the floor, shoving her hands into the abandoned poultry and coming back to her feet, smacking the fleshy gauntlets together as she took on the incoming attack. She punched one watermelon, the fruit disappearing in a spray of seeds and fruit juice, quickly followed by a second, and then she was charging and pushing on through as she intercepted and turned the following ones into pulp.

As her partner, Blake refused to leave Yang on her own. When there came a break after the first volley, she flipped over the blonde and landed in a crouch, seizing her own armaments. Normally, the baguettes would be highly outclassed in the face of watermelons but an extension of her Aura that encompassed and strengthened them turned them into weapons suitable for her purposes by the time the second volley came in. She lashed out with one in each hand, the long loaves of bread pulverizing the watermelons.

Yang returned the favor by similarly jumping over Blake and kicking the last. Their foes had run out of ammo by this point and Yang used the opening to fire a return barrage, a one-two punch to shoot her turkeys off her hands and towards the opposition. Pyrrha got out of the way but Jaune wasn't so lucky. One turkey struck him in the head, the other his stomach, and the J of JNPR was already out of the game as he flopped to the floor.

 _One down, three to go,_ Blake listed, already making a bid to stack the odds more in their favor as she rushed Pyrrha, hoping that the felling of the boy would distract her long enough for Blake to take her out in one sweep.

It wasn't long enough, the spartan hopping away to avoid impalement from Blake's grain-based swords and even arming herself with a loaf of her own. She came in with a heavy overhead strike, Blake blocking it, and the two glared at each other with gritted teeth, struggling to overpower the other with neither gaining ground. In the end, Pyrrha disengaged to perform a spinning swing that Blake avoided with her Semblance, a clone being left behind for the bread to cut through.

Unfortunately, Pyrrha had already become accustomed to it over the semester, easily spinning back around when the clone gave Blake the boost to flip over her and the redhead intercepted the flurry of blows that she performed. A second attempt of the maneuver with another clone proved just as ineffective when Blake went into the air again, this time throwing one of her swords, and Pyrrha jumped back to evade it before charging in with a powerful thrust – powerful enough to break her weapon against Blake when she landed and sending the faunus flying back.

Even when she hit the ground, Blake slid a good couple of meters on her back until she came to a rest. Whether it be a finely-crafted blade out from the forge or food out of the oven, Pyrrha Nikos lived up to her reputation it seemed, Blake taking a moment to recover while she watched the ongoing battle.

Yang fared little better, having fallen to accurate javelin-throwing that translated just as well when the javelins were more bread. With two of her teammates temporarily out of the fight from the same opponent, Ruby chose to personally engage Pyrrha herself, racing towards her with the help of a lunch tray that was not so much a weapon but an improvised surfboard that glided along the only intact row of tables. Bread shot past the younger girl, and a quick kick into the air got her into a position to use the tray to slap one loaf back towards Pyrrha.

She ducked under it but it left her open for when Ruby launched herself from the table and came down with a tray-assisted drop kick. Pyrrha held up her arms to stand against it and it lasted until another forceful push from Ruby's legs against the tray successfully overcame her defenses and sent her away.

At this point, the queen of the castle charged into the fray, Ren backing her up. Instead of going to meet them, Ruby retreated so that the one who had been slighted the most out of them all could finally get her shot in. Wielding her chosen of bottle of ketchup, Weiss stabbed the nozzle into the floor and squeezed, a jet of red sauce streaking across the floor and towards the NR duo. Ren was the unfortunate one to be tripped up, yelping as he fell, slid along the now very slick floor, and plowed into an assortment of discarded trays, tables, and all manner of food.

Nora, on the other hand, jumped clear over the disaster and did so high enough to grab and snap free a length of an overhanging pole. She stabbed one end into a surviving watermelon when she returned to the ground and, with her impromptu hammer, struck.

Her original target had been Weiss but a red blur suddenly appeared in front of her, materializing into Ruby. She took the blow meant for her partner when Nora smashed her weapon into the ground, the shockwave that was amplified by her Aura enough to hurl Ruby away, the cloaked girl's cries petering out before being silenced entirely.

The Schnee heiress tossed aside her bottle of ketchup, knowing it was inadequate, and traded it for an entire swordfish, the long bill that it derived its name from a perfect substitute for her rapier as her opening thrust drove Nora back. Momentarily anyway, as the melon hammer-wielder immediately sought to reengage, spinning the pole over her head while the fruity business end struck at Weiss again and again, the fish-fencer deflecting most of them.

One got through and Blake had to wince at the powerful swing that struck Weiss and propelled her across the entire expanse of the cafeteria, her flight ending when she collided with a pillar. The pillar itself cracked and broke, the top half separating and following after Weiss who was falling limply to the floor. Before Blake had a mind to save Weiss, that red blur returned, snatching the white-themed girl out from mid-air and to safety.

Ruby held Weiss tight against her as they rolled across the floor together, shielding her with her body. When she came to her knees, it was to look fearfully down to her partner while she shook her frantically. "Weiss. Weiss! Don't leave me!"

Weiss didn't respond, her eyes closed and lying almost lifelessly in Ruby's arms as the swordfish's tail slipped through her limp grip.

"Nooooo!" Ruby wailed.

Blake blew out a breath of exasperation. _Alright, break's over._

With one half of RWBY incapacitated – one from crashing into masonry, the other through overblown grief -, it was up to the other half to recover from this setback. Yang was already running in, hands once again gloved with turkeys, and Ren was choosing to go against her by dual-wielding leeks. They met in the middle, issuing separate battle cries with Yang striking with a kick that Ren guarded against with his selected vegetables.

Being two martial artists, Blake had to admit that it was impressive to watch as they went at it. Kicking, punching, ducking – even when so close the two were maneuvering around each other's blows while unleashing their own. Sadly for Ren, it was Yang who had the power and the poultry to eventually break through his flimsier defenses, one turkey hitting him above and behind his head which positioned his chin too well for the uppercut that lifted him off his feet and high into the air. At the apex of his ascent, Ren managed to twist his body around to better throw the leeks down at Yang.

Yang sprung upwards, not only avoiding the leeks but coming up to Ren's level. Hanging in the air and unarmed, there was nothing for the boy to do except take another cooked bird to the face, sending him streaking right back down to the earth with the forceful collision creating a small crater. An attempt to get up and keep fighting ended in failure, Ren weakly pushing himself up an inch before his strength gave out.

Yang didn't have time to celebrate her victory. As soon as her feet were back on the ground, they were pushing her back in order for her to avoid a swinging watermelon. Nora pursued with another swing and, after avoiding that one, Yang stood her ground and threw one fist forward at the same time that Nora began to perform an underhand swing.

The extra reach that Nora was granted with the pole won out. The watermelon hit and shattered upon impact and Yang was tumbling end-over-end straight up, shouting all the while until she broke through the ceiling of the cafeteria and disappeared.

Blake had to somersault out of the way of the falling debris that resulted. The battle up to her, she snatched the next available weapon to her: a long rope of sausage links. Twirling them around her body, she built up the momentum to whip them towards Nora, slapping her into one of the previous vending machines. Soda cans spilled free and Nora used the idea they bred to pick up several, shake them hard, and start throwing them at Blake.

The faunus abandoned her sausages in favor of being able to flip away from the first can which exploded into a burst of grape-flavored, carbonated liquid. More followed but Blake easily dodged the individual cans…until Pyrrha came in. Before Blake knew it, after she completed another flip and prepared to dodge another, she found herself facing not one or two but an entire storm of cans with Pyrrha right in the heart of it. When she thrust her arms out towards her, Blake was given a full, horrifying example of what happened when one who controlled polarity had the right tools available.

She stood no chance. She was lucky enough to dodge the first half dozen but when one exploded too close and she got some of the soda in her eyes, she was at the mercy to the dozens more that took advantage to collectively overwhelm. Blake was thrown back against the wall and all she could do was cover her face as can after can hit and burst open, covering her from head to toe in sticky grape, orange, lemon-lime, and all other manner of beverages.

After what felt like the hundredth can, Blake fell to her knees, hair and uniform clinging to her like a second skin while her tongue was covered in a mixture of flavors where the word 'unpleasant' didn't even begin to describe the horrid taste. Then she dropped facedown, defeated.

When she dared to raise her head to get a look at the battlefield, it really looked as if any chance of victory had been dashed. Yang had yet to return from her trip through the cafeteria roof, Weiss still refused to get up, and Ruby…

Despite her losses, Ruby stood tall before Pyrrha and Nora, leaving her partner to rest on the floor. Blake couldn't see her leader's face but the tightly-clenched fists at her sides told the faunus enough to know that surrender or retreat was not on Ruby's mind. She was proven correct when Ruby dipped down into a running stance…and then she _ran_.

Pushing her Semblance to the max, an enormous tailwind was produced in Ruby's wake, the high winds overpowering Pyrrha's control over the remaining soda cans which followed after the red speedster…as well as everything else that was picked up to create a hurricane of food. She dashed past JNPR, including the recovering Jaune and Ren, and they were all lifted up and sucked into the vortex.

At the other end of the cafeteria, Ruby skidded to a halt while the opposing team flew over her head and became pinned against the wall. Then she was jumping up towards the ceiling, grabbing hold of the rafters to remain in place while leaving JNPR at ground zero to the wrath of the Lunch Gods with baguette strikes, soda shelling, cluster-bombing of a mix of table and silverware, and a whole list of other munitions whether they be grain, dairy, fruits, fish – everything that the food pyramid had to offer.

Even as the mixed flavors of soda stuck to her form, Blake had to admit that JNPR got it worse. By the time the hurricane winds had been dispersed to unveil the multi-colored canvas that had been painted and left behind, she couldn't make out any of the members…not until they peeled themselves off the wall and left their very obvious imprints behind before collapsing in a heap.

A moment later, Ruby dropped down and how she stood so tall and with a smile so bright, there was no one left to contest how victory had undoubtedly been attained for Team RWBY.

* * *

"I love these guys," Sun said.

Neptune just turned to glare at him, face, hair, and jacket stained with purple shrapnel of a too-near detonation of carbonated materials.

The double doors behind them flew open with enough force to bounce off the walls. When the two turned, it was to see an older woman striding in. Despite the librarian getup, the violent entrance, the fierce scowl on her face, and the low growl she made got the two partners to quickly edge out of her way so that she could pass by, a tattered cape trailing behind her.

She took one look around before making a motion with her hand towards an array of broken dishes, the shattered remains that were strewn about suddenly moving on their own. As if a puzzle solving itself, the pieces shifted before coming together, reforming into the plates with the cracks disappearing like magic. The blonde woman's riding crop came up next, waving in the air, and the entire cafeteria got up to follow her commands. The long serving table got up to retake its position at the end of the room with the remade plates floating over and neatly stacking themselves on top.

The rest of the tables fell into line – literally – as they mimicked the first by either floating or tumbling along to organize themselves into perfectly neat rows, benches sliding into place beneath them soon after. Vending machines turned themselves upright while unexploded soda cans were fed back in and dents buffed themselves out. Food that wasn't utterly demolished similarly recovered and resumed their proper places while the messes left behind by those that were were wiped away, including the giant, multi-colored smear on the wall that was the mark of the defeat for one warring teams. Trash cans and recycle bins stood dutifully to take in what couldn't be salvaged.

One final slamming gesture with her crop signaled the end when the last table was set into place and no longer did it look like an all-out war had taken place. She made one quick survey of her handiwork, fingers pushing her glasses up to the bridge of her nose, and then she was rounding on the perpetrators.

"Children, _please_ ," she said, that scowl firmly in place, "do _not_ play with your food."

The seven students in question looked particularly chastised, their gazes turning to the floor or off to the side; anywhere but the irritated woman. That air was broken when one of them – a girl with short orange hair – belched loudly and grins were struggling to be hidden.

"Wuah!"

And then it all came apart when the girl who Neptune witnessed getting smashed through the ceiling came back through it, creating another hole as she fell to the floor with another pile of rubble. The grins immediately turned into laughter. The woman looked ready to snap at them until a hand was placed on her shoulder and Neptune recognized the new arrival immediately.

"Let it go," the headmaster of Beacon himself gently instructed. Neptune hadn't even noticed Ozpin's entrance, the man having entered so quietly that he was only aware of him when he passed him and Sun.

The woman, clearly another professor, turned and reluctantly followed, breathing out slowly as she forced herself to relax before looking to her laughing students. "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world."

"And they will be. But right now they're still just children. So why not let them play the part?" Removing his hand from her shoulder, he was already making his way to leave despite having only just arrived. He either didn't notice or didn't care about the two foreign students, not giving them so much as a glance as he passed them. "After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever."

Neptune watched the headmaster leave and, after taking a long look at her students, the woman was pivoting on her heel and doing the same.

 _Well, that was a bit of a downer,_ he mentally commented when the double doors settled closed again.

But, hey, attractive girls and a headmaster that lets his students get away with destroying a cafeteria? Sun was right: Beacon was shaping up to be a very interesting place.

* * *

Yang picked herself up from the floor, hands brushing the skirt of her uniform. Regarding her laughing teammates, a wide grin spread across her face and then she was giving them all a thumbs-up, initiating another round of laughter which she joined in on. Blake was quicker to regain control of herself, her laughs dwindling into giggles that she vainly attempted to muffle beneath her palms. Meanwhile, she observed her friends.

Weiss, having recovered from Nora's blow at this point, was brought low again when her own mirth forced her to drop onto a bench, failing worse than Blake at hiding it. Ruby had already taken a seat on top of the table but her sister's entrance and how she so easily brushed it off had her collapsing onto her back, hands clutching her sides. Unlike Weiss, she wasn't even trying to smother her laughter although she had to weakly fend off some of her seated partner's snow-white hair with how close she was.

Over at JNPR, Pyrrha and Jaune were also lost in hysterics, the leader himself so much so that he nearly tripped and fell over completely if not for the arm that Pyrrha managed to wind around his to keep him up. Nora was currently distracted by a syrup stain on her arm, lapping at it with her tongue. Ren, on a bench with a hand over his face, would appear exasperated if not for how his shoulders shook and Blake spotting the corners of his lips being so high up.

The last of her giggles died off but the smile remained beneath Blake's hands. A warmth settled and spread along her chest as she reveled in the sights and sounds. They were all completely filthy and the faunus wondered if Goodwitch had done it on purpose as a small form of punishment. None of them seemed to mind; all of them so happy and finding such amusement in the aftermath of a food fight between what should be future Huntsmen and Huntresses in the most prestigious combat school that was geared to teaching them how to fight and kill savage monsters.

Right now, they were acting like normal teenagers. Having fun, enjoying what they could…and Blake was one of them. A teammate and a friend with no degree of separation or strings attached with these people who accepted her for who she was. This was made all the more apparent by Yang who caught Blake at the corner of her eye. Still giggling, her partner gave her a very obvious wink.

Her partner and _girlfriend_. The wink and what it reminded influenced a faint blush that was something else that Blake tried to hide.

She never thought she'd be in a situation where she'd be blessed by such things. A few months ago, she came to this place as a stranger who was distrustful of all these people who she was laughing with. This included an heiress to one of the several human establishments that Blake had once protested and then violently fought against. Associated with killers for so long, Blake had thought herself as lost with all this happiness having served to cause her unimaginable levels of pain when she realized just how good the world and its people could be and how she ruined every chance of being a part of it.

But she was deep in it, deeper than she ever expected to be. And, for once in her life, she was well and truly happy.

Her assumptions on some of Goodwitch's motives with her cleaning, Blake knew that the gray notebook that was nearby and that cold dousing that subjugated her mood was not some nefarious scheme of her professor. It drew her away from her friends, their laughter quieting the further she drifted from them and the closer she got to the notebook. She flipped open the gray cover as soon as she got to it.

It was random but the wear that built up when one turned and left a page open in a book for so long and so many times made it accursedly easy to turn to it. The notes that Blake wrote indicated that she had been spending a lot of time and effort here. As did the doodles.

In the middle of one page within the center of her notes was a circle, inside of which was the drawing of a wolf head. There were noticeable fangs but they were close together, the fearsome animal passive and expressing no ill intent.

On the other page was a rose in full bloom and she had taken care when it came to the detail of each petal; delicate and beautiful. While Blake had a leader who possessed a name and a symbol of such a flower, it didn't possess the tall, thorny stem like this one did. Instead, it belonged to the man who had been drawn higher up, that same rose on the back of his trench coat partially obscured by the sheathed sword.

Whenever Blake had looked at him from the back, it was always hard to see the signs of his heritage amidst his spiky hair. It was the same when she drew him and she doubted anyone would identify the small signs that she made of the two horns except her.

An arm suddenly came around her shoulders, pulling her off to the side, and something wet slid along her cheek. Snapping the notebook shut, Blake whipped her head over to find the smiling face of Yang who was smacking her lips.

"Lemony with a hint of Blake," Yang identified brightly, that sunny smile that Blake had come to love open and warm.

The blush came back anew with added strength and Blake chose to bury her face into the crook of Yang's neck. Though her hair and skin was sticky and gross, the faunus didn't mind it in the least. The love and warmth that came with being so close to her girlfriend and the safety of being able to take shelter in it was indescribable.

"Whatcha doing?"

But it wasn't enough. Even with the comfort she derived from what of Yang she could get from the outside while she possessed a more internal and deeper connection within her heart, it wasn't enough to block out the weight of the notebook that had become unbelievably heavy in her hand as did the bow that was on the top of her head.

It was all too new and early. Incredible as all this was, it was not infallible – nothing was. Wherever there was light, there was always darkness to challenge it. As deep as she was in this happiness, it was nowhere near enough for her to forget that, beyond the walls of this building and that of Beacon, there were dark forces at play.

"Nothing," Blake replied, keeping the fear out of her voice and what was on her face hidden.

The fear that, when the time came, everything here would wilt away in the face of what their enemies were planning next.

* * *

The crate slid down the loading ramp of the Bullhead and a polished boot stretched out to stop it at the end of its journey. The curved handle of a cane wedged itself within the seam of the lid with the right amount of force being applied to pry it open, revealing the contents.

Six rifles were set securely in the grooves of the foam padding. There was another layer beneath them that held six more but those were hidden while these specimens were in plain view. Gunmetal gray with red highlights, adjustable stocks at the back, integrated sights at the top, and the muzzle of a barrel right at the end that was ready to be pointed at anyone that a user wanted dead.

And after picking one up, the White Fang member pointed it right at Roman's chest.

The criminal took no mind to it. With Melodic Cudgel back at his side after using it as a crowbar, he used the cane for its intended purpose to put his weight on it while he stared over the top of the rifle and right into the slits of the faunus's mask. "Satisfied?"

He expressed no worries, entirely at ease. And why wouldn't he be? The gun wasn't loaded. All the ammunition was in separate crates that were being unstrapped and getting ready to be sent down the ramp to be ferried off. This wasn't his first gun run. Besides, not only would the animal not shoot at him but, if he did decide to act on that rather insane impulse, Roman would make sure that he would regret it for the rest of his life. All three seconds of it.

Luckily, the faunus proved that there was some measure of a brain between those mouse ears. Or at least Roman _assumed_ there were a set of ears to go with that thin, pink tail what with the hood. Either way, after setting the rifle back down, the faunus was assisted by another of his comrades to lift the case and set it on a dolly to wheel it off with the rest of the cargo. By then another crate was being prepared to be sent down the ramp and with more faunus coming to unload, Roman made himself scarce.

The warehouse was abuzz with such activity. While the Bullhead was being unloaded with a couple overseers directing the flow of traffic and cargo, more of the uniformed radicals were high overhead along the catwalks, carrying and wheeling around more equipment. This wasn't restricted to the latest weapon delivery from their sources from Atlas as they'd already been in the middle of storing and inventorying the latest spoils of the recent heists that they pulled off.

As a career criminal, Roman had been a part of big illegal operations in the past but this was a whole new level. The signs had been there earlier, specifically the pay that was being offered to him by his employer when she sought him out and brought him on board, the resources that were given to him without so much of a batting of an eye like newly minted Bullheads, and even more money that was all but thrown at him when he was told to use whatever amount he saw fit to hire what help he needed through his contacts in the criminal underworld. It started off small at first and Roman had wondered if he was being tested before it was to be decided whether or not he would be brought further into the fold.

Big rewards were to be had. That was what his gut told him but even he couldn't predict the situation he found himself in now: virtually at the head of a growing army.

He didn't favor himself as much of a military commander but the pin-up of a city map of Vale would say otherwise. Intricate knowledge of the city streets, the patrol patterns of local police – which areas they congregated at the most and which they didn't give a damn about -, and even some hidden avenues and retreats that were used by some of his compatriots of crime. Such inside information would be quite useful for, say, a hypothetical attack on Vale itself.

That was really all Roman had to work with: guesses and assumptions. While he had stood in front of the map as he did now with gaze sweeping over the written notes, it came to him that while he had given all the necessary information there was to provide just as many advantages for a battle that would take place in the city, he was missing a lot of relatively important pieces. For example, how was this proposed battle supposed to not only occur within Vale, but how were you supposed to get the equipment you needed to conduct an effective one into the city in the first place?

Smuggling contraband was in his resume so Roman knew what you could get away with and what you couldn't. A couple crates of rifles were no mean feat but you were going to need a lot more than that. Vale may not have a standing army but, while a good chunk of the police force consisted of dumb cops, they could provide a good measure of resistance made even more of a challenge when there were the elite Huntsmen and Huntresses of Beacon and he had firsthand experience at what a small number of them could do to a couple squads of armed White Fang personnel. Worse yet, the ones he witnessed had been children.

He had never been given answers, quite the opposite. When asked by his employer as to what he needed to complete his task, he had answered 'more men'. When he got that, he then said 'more equipment'. After that, more men and more equipment. All for one task: Dust. Always the Dust. This warehouse was filled nearly to the brim with huge cargo containers of the stuff but his orders had remained unchanged: steal more Dust.

It had been a long while since Roman found himself as an underling rather than a mastermind and he'd been chafing the whole while. His gut assured him that this was all going to be worth it but that didn't mean he had to like it, especially when it came to who he had to work with.

Other than a dirty pack of faunus, there were two people in particular who proved to induce the worst of headaches and not seeing them around lately was not a good sign. True, he was always happy to limit his interactions with them to the bare minimum but when they were without supervision for too long…children were most certainly children.

So when he turned at their arrival to see them standing there and giving him looks of disdain, his number one priority was to find out just what they'd been up to.

"Oh look, she sent the kids again," he spoke with feigned sweetness, striding over to the pair. His arms came up, each slinging around a set of shoulders, and he fought down the urge to tighten as much as possible to come as close as he could to throttling them. "This is turning out just like the divorce."

"Ugh," Emerald gagged, performing a shudder before pulling off his arm, Mercury doing the same. She seemed to take no notice of the brush of Roman's hand along her pocket after freeing herself. "Spare us the thought of you procreating."

"That was a joke," Roman replied, dropping the act as he returned to the map. He held up his hand, revealing a slip of paper held between his fingers. "And _this_ just might tell me where you two have been all day."

"What!?" Emerald gasped, looking to where it had been pocketed at her side a second ago.

"I'm a professional, sweetheart," Roman informed her, taking some delight in her shock. "Pay attention, maybe you'll learn something." Reading what was on the paper and finding a familiar address written down, that small victory immediately turned sour, Roman switching from it to the amateur with a frown. "Why do you have this address?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yeah, I would." _I asked, didn't I?_ Taking a couple threatening steps towards her, he held the paper in front of her face. "Now, where have you been all day?"

"Cleaning up _your_ problems," Mercury cut in, stepping up to the challenge. "One of them, anyway."

Roman immediately fixed him with a glare. "I had that under control."

"Two packed bags and a ticket out of Vale said otherwise."

Since first meeting these two, Roman knew immediately that he was going to end up loathing them entirely. Their continued cooperation only proved him right as he quickly caught on as to who he was dealing with: the unwanted wastes of society. Orphans, thrown out into the streets for some reason or another and picking at what scraps they could in order to continue their miserable existence and not having the good sense to give up if they weren't going to take control of their lives. Roman had _earned_ his spot, having begun at the bottom of the totem pole before making his way up by keeping his head on his shoulders while the competition lost theirs. Those who had gotten in his way had turned up dead whether by his hand personally or through careful trickery and bribery and since reaching the top he kept his powerbase strong unless he wished for the exact same thing to happen to him.

In contrast, these two had the dumb luck to come into the good graces of a patron who picked them up from their wretched lives. And, somehow, they came under the mistaken assumption that what power and command that that patron held was transferable to them. Most likely, had things turned out differently and they'd been left to their own devices, they would've ended up in a ditch somewhere, dead and forgotten; something that seemed to have been lost on them with how they held themselves so high.

Roman had entertained several fantasies of how to rid himself of them, permanently, while rehearsing what he would say to his employer. _A mysterious explosion? I'm so sorry to hear that, I really am, but could you honestly say that you expected anything less from the White Fang? Transport the detonators,_ then _assemble them. Why, that's a good way to ruin a perfectly normal flight by having them active and set at the right frequency where one chance broadcast can blow them all._

Some weren't as intricate, or convincing. _I'm sorry, I thought you said have an airship ready for them at six in the afternoon, not in the morning. I hope they don't know enough that could possibly compromise us if they decide to let it slip to their detainers. Would you like me to go out and silence them just in case?_

Deciding to divulge one such fantasy to them, Roman approached Mercury, hand tightening on Melodic Cudgel. "Listen you little punk, if it were up to me, I would take you and your little street-rat friend here and I would-"

"Do _what_ , Roman?"

Roman froze at the voice that echoed down from above and the smirk that crept up on Mercury's face told him that he hadn't concealed what had become an instinctive attack of anxiety whenever he heard that voice as well as he hoped. He tilted his head up and felt her burning gaze before the platform began its descent, lowering her down from the catwalk to bring her to ground level.

The hem of that dark red minidress and the trailing tail fluttered with the descent, adding to the already significant exposure of long, slender legs to the point where Roman could make out the black shorts worn beneath it. It was those legs that immediately attracted Roman's attention when she had first sauntered into their meeting spot with the proposal that landed him here. Out of all the women he had the pleasure _and_ displeasure of meeting throughout his life, she easily topped them.

A true beauty to be sure; flawless skin, the legs which he already mentioned, the curves that the dress accentuated beautifully, and that long ebony hair that was draped over one shoulder with a few locks hanging over her left eye, soft and inviting. He always did have more of a thing for brunettes. Sultry, and that had been the case when they met…before she knocked him down from the top of his totem pole. Hard.

Seeing her now, and having been caught threatening her subordinates, caused a ball of ice to form in the pit of his stomach. He chuckled nervously, that once alien feeling of being so intimidated by the presence of one person having become familiar to him again thanks to her. He wasn't even ashamed when he hesitantly corrected himself with, "I'd, uh… _not_ kill them?"

The platform came to a rest and she walked forward, each clinking of those glass high-heels like picks jabbing at his frozen intestines, the slight jingling of the jeweled anklets no better. Not once did her eyes stray from him; those captivating yellow-orange orbs narrow and fiercely intelligent. It was another quality that had stood out attractively but had warped into something far more satanic. Everything about her radiated power and the confidence to wield it, whether it be her walk or the gold designs that curled and looped around the sleeve of her dress, crossed over her chest, and went down the other where it took over the fabric along the backs of her hands and the ties around her middle fingers.

Her arrival had the opposite effect on Emerald, the girl staring at her with utter devotion. "Cinder!"

 _Just missing the ears and the tail,_ Roman noted, the girl akin to a young pup coming to the feet of its master. _You know what they say about the adopted ones: always the most loyal._

Cinder didn't even pause or offer a glance, stepping past the approaching Emerald and that young pup looked as if she had just been kicked. No satisfaction was to be felt with Roman who remained a target as Cinder drew ever closer, questioning, "I thought I made it clear that you were to eliminate the would-be runaway."

"I was going to…" he started off slowly, wanting to choose his words carefully as she stopped and waited for them.

" _He_ was going to escape to Vacuo," Emerald interjected, seeking to curry favor. "Mercury and I decided to take it upon ourselves to kill the rat."

"I think he was some sort of cat, actually," her partner pointed out with a wry grin.

"What, like a puma?"

"Yeah, there ya go."

"Quiet," Cinder ordered, that cool, controlled voice rising by the barest of fractions which was more than enough to silence the two with even Mercury's cockiness caving instantly. "Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?"

It was only due to Cinder's back being turned to him that Roman thought it safe enough to point accusingly at them, making it plain that he was enjoying this. He drew that same finger across his throat in a slitting motion.

Although Mercury gave him a quick and discreet scowl, Emerald was too busy mitigating what damage she could. "I just thought-"

"Don't think," came the miniscule stress of authority again. "Obey."

Emerald hung her head in submission with Mercury appearing as chastised. "Yes, ma'am. It won't happen again."

"And you…"

Roman swallowed thickly, all humor vanishing under the gaze of those flame-tempered irises.

"Why wasn't this job done sooner?"

It really said something where, despite his fear of this woman and the folly of doing what he was about to do, Roman gave her a look that challenged the intelligence of the question. "Uh…eh?" He motioned to his right where the entire side of the warehouse was blocked by the neatly-rowed cargo containers, stretching all the way to the ceiling. "Ehhh?" The same gesture to his left showed the same thing. "Ehhhhhhhh!?"

The last was punctuated with both his arms, raised high above his head and were nowhere close enough to taking in the sheer amount of loot that was piled – some _scattered_ for there was no other place to put them – all across the warehouse. " _Sorry_ if I've been a little busy stealing every spec of Dust in the kingdom!"

"You're an inspiration to every punk with a gun and a ski-mask," said Mercury, Emerald suppressing a giggle in response.

Roman was very, _very_ tempted to attempt the classic, 'I'm sorry, I didn't know my cane was loaded!' plan. Instead, he shot back with, "Look around, kid; I've got this town running scared. Police camping out at every corner, Dust prices through the roof, and we're sitting pretty in an old warehouse with more Dust crystals, vials, and rounds than we know what to do with! Speaking of which…"

He would always try now and again, usually when he listed off his rather significant contributions such as here to cajole a bit more information out of Cinder – to be let in just a bit more into the grand scheme that she had in the works. It wasn't a need to know for the sake of knowing that convinced him to try or to obtain some form of a bargaining chip over her as he knew to even attempt such a thing would result in a rather violent expulsion from their ranks. No, to be a bit more informed was to be granted a peace of mind with the knowledge that he was being allowed to know more because they still had a use for him and didn't have any motive to terminate his contract – and him – for the foreseeable future.

"If you guys wouldn't mind filling me in on your grand-master plan," he began, cloaking his unease with a dusting of agitation, "it _might_ actually make my next string of robberies go a little smoother!"

It was here that there came a break in Cinder's intense countenance. Reverting back to that sultry woman who he first met, she stepped closer with an added sway to her hip that lifted that hem of her dress a breath higher, and she all but purred, "Oh, Roman…have a little faith." She reached up, fingers stroking along his chin. "You'll know what you need when you need to know."

The image she presented didn't last. Soon, her eyes, the designs on her dress, even the loop earrings in her lobes began to glow. The change was immediate: from a display of sympathy and camaraderie, to an aura of menace. That reassuring smile became predatory, the nails at his chin bent as if preparing to be painted in a different shade of red, and the temperature rose noticeably where she touched his skin.

It was the change that made the facts clear. The facts that she had forcefully laid down when they struck their deal and what she was reminding him of: _she_ was the one in charge. She may've come and offered him a place at her side, one higher than most, but she could easily remove him from it and find a replacement if he proved to be more trouble than he was worth.

 _Don't think,_ he could read in her expression. _Obey._

And what could he do but submit, lowering his gaze to break away from the infernal pit of fire and brimstone that burned within her eyes?

The hand fell away and the glow receded, the temperature returning to normal. When he looked back, it was to see her smiling, satisfied, as she said, "Besides, we're done with Dust."

He stared at her, needing a second to be sure that he heard right. "O…kay. Then what now?"

"We're moving." Turning her back to him, she began to move. "Have the White Fang clear out this building. I'll send you details and coordinates tonight."

His brows lowered in confusion. "Coordinates?"

The smile she tossed back to him was ominous. "We're proceeding to phase two."

Mercury and Emerald followed her lead, leaving Roman to stand there while the full meaning of what just happened sunk in. Cinder had given him what he wanted: an indication that, for a little longer at least, he was still useful to her. That minor victory was worth a cigar in his mind, already producing one from the inside of his suit and sticking it between his teeth. When he went to the pocket that usually held his lighter, he found it empty and he started patting himself down to look for it. _Where…?_

A recognizable _click_ drew his attention up to see Emerald standing with a lighter in hand, a flame already burning. She made sure to have the face of the jack-'o-lantern directed towards him to let him know that it was his without a doubt. She stuck her tongue out towards him and then a flick of her wrist snapped it shut, snuffing out the flame.


	2. Welcome To Beacon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks go over to Hokiebird428 at ff.net for giving this chapter a slight editing as well as the first chapter. He pointed out another of my bad writing habits that I'm hoping to kill with his help.

The air traffic around Beacon Academy had seen a noticeable increase with the nearing approach of the Vytal Festival. Having begun as a few extra flights between Vale and the combat school as students from other kingdoms arrived by boat and rendezvoused at the skyport to be transferred over to airships that would deliver them to their final destination, those same flights had been steadily increasing over the past few days. However, they were restricted to the usual fat-bodied airships that people became accustomed to seeing glide slowly but serenely over their heads.

For today, the arrival of the latest participants were marked by a squadron of dropships, coming in low and fast to make their appearance more readily apparent. At only a few hundred feet, anyone outside would be turning their heads to catch the source of the growing rumbling to spot the approach of the numerous crafts.

They were smaller than the typical Bullheads, their angular fuselage and wingspan half the size of the bulkier vessels at most. They did share a few features such as a distinct cockpit and the curved, finned backs of these dropships were meant to provide what amount of space was possible for their rear transport sections before dipping into low tails. Chin-mounted pairs of gatling guns showed that they were armed and the thick armor plating these dropships were missing they more than made up for with the speed and maneuverability that they demonstrated when the squadron broke up into three-ship flights - one lead craft with two flanking elements. They streaked over Beacon's sky-docks, heading right towards the high towers, and then banked into sharp turns or pulled up into steep climbs to fly over and around them with the separate flights maintaining their formations. If no one had been looking before, they were now, which coincided with the approach of the dreadnaughts.

Similar to their escorts, the trio of capital ships were in close formation but the spaces between them left plenty of room for additional dropships - though, with their performance, the better designation would probably be fighter/transports - to pass through. Much like how the dropships were to Bullheads, these vessels were thinner and slenderer than the civilian-model passenger airships. It didn't make them appear any less formidable for while those every day airships with their flipper-like wings could be comparable to turtles calmly swimming through the air, these dreadnaughts stabbed dominantly forward like swords with their sharp noses - and flight paths - pointed right at Beacon while a vicious array of spines protruded behind them from the engine supports, additional propulsion units hidden within.

The airpads were almost insufficient to accommodate them, their full lengths causing those blade-like noses and pointed spines to stretch over the edges while they rested on their bellies, almost touching each other.

"Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels," Glynda observed, unimpressed by the show. High up in Ozpin's office at the top of Beacon's tallest tower, the half clock face window provided an unparalleled view of the display from start to finish for the headmaster and his attendant. The latter had her arms crossed tight over her chest the whole time, eyes narrow in disapproval behind her glasses as if the assembly of warships were a batch of unruly troublemakers.

"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man," Ozpin defended, watching a trio of those fighter/transports hover slowly over the docking warships before breaking off to establish a patrol. Focusing on the dreadnaughts that clashed with the more peaceful and steady appearance of his school, he then allowed, "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore."

Though the amount of strength presented in this display was greater than most instances, Atlas and its citizens had a fond habit of conducting such shows wherever they traveled, especially when it came to its military. However, even the most critical of critics would consent that, out of all the kingdoms, it was Atlas that had the most justification for its accomplishments.

It had been the last kingdom to be officially constructed and seen as such, and its beginning had been marked with uncertainty. When the first explorers set foot on Mantle, they found an inhospitable continent of freezing temperatures and icy winds that would slice at any exposed skin. And, as always, there were the Grimm with some of the most terrifying examples of the monsters being bred in the merciless and frozen heart of Mantle.

Colonization efforts should've ended before they even began in the face of such challenges until humans were given the biggest reason of all to conquer them: beneath the ice and snow were plentiful deposits of Dust. Suffice to say, colonists were given all that they needed in order to tap and mine them but that quickly proved to be almost not enough. They had the technology; the problem was that it succumbed too easily to the cold. The sandy west of Vytal where Vacuo was located was a nuisance but measures could be taken to keep sand out of the sensitive internals of equipment or clean them out. Against Mantle's temperatures - which could drop well below freezing during the nights or one of its deadly ice storms -, such defenses were initially limited to nonexistent.

But innovation was humanity's strong suit, leading to retrofittings and breakthroughs to better defend their technology against the whims of nature. This would serve the future Atlesians well to keep their dwellings warm and mine those deposits of Dust and valuable metals which had been left untouched by human hand until now. Soon, that small mining colony grew into what would later become Atlas.

The coming of war brought additional trials to test the kingdom, its position at the head of the Dust trade making it a prime target for raids and an occasional invasion attempt. A new process was soon underway with Atlas converting its industrial might to the creation of war materials. Although its air fleet would become legendary, Atlas became best known for its androids and mechs; once designed to brave through the elements and venture where few humans dared and assist in mining efforts, their durability adapted well to combat purposes. It led to a significant advantage where hostile armies, plagued with the same problems of their predecessors concerning the cold and struggling to provide troops with what they needed, came up against a mechanized force that was immune to such debilitations.

When hostilities came to an end and Atlas was invited to the negotiating table, it did so as the most powerful kingdom - both when it came to its military and its industrial power. It instilled a great amount of pride that every Atlesian shared and Atlas having taken a leading role to use its influence to unite the kingdoms and share its technology to show they were all equal instead of enforcing policies that could've put it above them, many came to see it as a true capital of peacekeeping.

To Ozpin, the battle group on his doorstep appeared more for peace _enforcing_.

A beeping at his desk drew him and Glynda to the holographic notification that appeared above the turning gears and glass surface, informing him that someone was requesting access into his office. Pulling away from the window, he passed his hand through it to confirm his consent and was already moving to the front of his desk to greet the arrival as he called, "Come in."

The doors to the elevator slid apart, making way for the loud greeting. "Ozpin!"

The arrival strode into the office with arms and smile spread wide in greeting. Tall and broad-shouldered, the man was someone who newscasters would adore and probably had. Dark hair cut short and combed to the side with the patches of gray along his temples groomed to give a wizened visage when combined with the slightly weathered features of his otherwise sculpted face. His eyes were a piercing yet mesmerizing shade of blue, easily able to draw whoever he spoke with to them and not the strip of silver metal that was above his right eyebrow.

Atlas couldn't ask for a better face for the title that Ozpin greeted him by in a more controlled manner. "Hello, general."

By his attire, General James Ironwood looked more like a scientist with that white overcoat, beneath which was a button-up undercoat and red tie; a dress that underlined Atlas's preferences and achievements when it came to the technological, the recent ones of which Ozpin knew that James had at least a part in if not directly overseeing. They were well-cleaned with white pants perfectly pressed and boots given an extra shine for a presentation that had yet to begin - or so one would think. Other than what was going on right outside his window, Ozpin was a bit skeptical as to how James just happened to arrive at his office in so timely a manner when his ships were only just landing and unloading their passengers.

There was no deceit in his enthusiasm at seeing an old friend and Ozpin did share the feeling. Walking and meeting him in the middle, the general took his hand in both of his own - one gloved in white, the other bare - to give a spirited but firm shake, accompanied by a good-natured chuckle. "Please, drop the formalities! It's been too long!" Catching Glynda at the side, James's smile lengthened. "And Glynda, it has certainly been far too long since we last met."

"Oh, James," Glynda returned with a dainty wave but her expression spoke the same of the general as it did of his forces. She leaned over to Ozpin, muttering dryly, "I'll be outside."

James was hardly affected by it and when he turned to watch her retreating form, he seemed to linger for a little longer before rotating back to Ozpin. "Well she hasn't changed a bit."

Though he was fighting down a smirk at Glynda's candor, Ozpin chose to step deftly around that topic. Going back to his desk where a pot of coffee awaited, he began to pour it into one of the mugs. "So, what in the world has brought you all the way down from Atlas?" He offered the first cup to James. "Headmasters don't typically travel with their students for the Vytal Festival."

"Well you know how much I love Vale this time of year," he replied, accepting the drink and Ozpin had to refrain from showing his displeasure when James produced a flask from within his coat, the contents of which he added to his mug. "Besides, with you hosting, I thought this might be a good opportunity for us to...catch up."

Ozpin caught the meaning but chose to overlook it as he circled back around his desk, a mug of his own in hand. "I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends. However..." He sat down in his chair, finally pouring a cup for himself. "The small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned."

The look James gave him said that he wasn't sure if he did catch the message. "Well...concern is what brought them here."

"I understand travel between kingdoms has become increasingly difficult-"

"Oz..." he interrupted, his previous friendly air dissipating. "You and I both know why I brought those men."

Ozpin didn't respond right away, taking a slow sip from his mug instead and preferring that they were talking about the existing dangers of travel. Despite the development of airships, a lot of the advantages that they would typically provide were negated by the fact that most of Remnant was still made up by territory remaining in the hands of the Grimm. An airship that could fly over those parts of the continents and islands to reduce travel time could attract a Nevermore or other flying Grimm to assault it. The seas were still considered the safest, cheapest, and most trusted form of travel between kingdoms so an armed escort like the one that the Atlas students had arrived in wasn't out of the ordinary, especially as there had been a disturbing rise in Grimm activity lately.

That didn't explain the large number of ground troops that were disembarking as Ozpin failed to see what they could do in such an aerial battle.

Resigning himself to this discussion with a sigh, Ozpin met Ironwood's gaze. "We are in a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression."

James set his cup on the desk so that he could place both his hands on top of it as he stressed, "But if what Qrow said is true-"

"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully," Ozpin assured, remembering the message that had been sent to him by their comrade. That evening in particular had been rather eventful: an attempted Dust robbery by faunus radicals thwarted by one of his first-year teams, the leader of which having been seriously injured while doing so. That leader who just so happened to be Qrow's niece and the girl who Ozpin allowed to attend his school two years early after, coincidentally, witnessing her thwart a previous robbery months ago.

 _[Queen Has Pawns]_ had been the cryptic message to top the night off.

The headmaster rested his elbows on his desk, fingers threading together as he adopted a similar stance to challenge James's. "It's the Vytal Festival; a time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."

"I'm just being cautious."

"As am I, which is why we will continue to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can."

"Believe me, I am." James bowed his head, placing his gloved hand over his heart as making an oath. Sensing their discussion as over, he turned on his heel, about to leave, but stopped to give Ozpin some parting words. "But ask yourself this: do you honestly believe your children can win a war?"

He didn't get an answer. Although Ozpin stared at him, he was looking further back to that night and the members of RWBY who he had seen and spoken with afterwards. The young Ruby Rose, pale and fatigued, but having stubbornly approached him to attest to the innocence and acceptance of one of her teammates the day after she left the hospital. Her older sister, Xiao Long, having come to his office before that to give him the debriefing that was required despite the worry for her sibling and the other issues that wracked the team leaving her visibly stressed. Ms. Schnee, once so confident, lost and unsure with a duty she had been born into and tried to uphold having crumbled in the wake of reality. And, finally, Blake Belladonna: a faunus girl who had chosen to hide from the world, demons of the past haunting her, and looking to make what she can right but not knowing how or if she even possessed the capabilities to do so.

Each one held some ties to the sides that were poised for war whether directly through their blood or their past or indirectly due to their partners. He would hate to see just what that war could do to them after seeing for himself how they fared after one skirmish. Would it strengthen and unite them, or destroy them?

That was only one team though – one out of many. His school was filled with the potential that each student carried and what they were being granted to shape for the betterment of the world. No matter how they got here, he had accepted each and every single one with the confidence that they would be able to carry the burdens of Remnant on their shoulders once they were properly trained.

But what if that weight was forced on them too soon and those chances he gave them and the world led them both to ruin instead?

"I hope they never have to," Ozpin quietly spoke.

His words met the closed elevator, Ironwood having already left and leaving Ozpin alone with his thoughts. Retaking possession of his mug, Ozpin swung his chair around to face the window and the docked fleet beyond. Sipping slowly, he noted how the students of Atlas were now unloading from the ships and tried to quell his worries in response to the sight of the columns of soldiers in their armor and uniforms vastly outnumbering them.

* * *

"Hm..."

Yang awaited Ruby's decision, taking some delight in how her sister's forehead was creased with thought while her grin was one influenced by the myriad of fantasies of how she would rain down destruction upon any kingdom of her choosing with the help of the cards in her hands and the miniatures laid out on her side of the game board. The brawler took a look at her own hand and didn't bother hiding her own grin of anticipation. She had some good cards, two of which she already laid facedown in preparation for any assault that may come her way.

"Alright..."

And she knew it was coming. No matter how many years they'd partaken in this, Ruby had never developed a good poker face. After scanning her cards, her eyes would flick up to look at her adversaries and, as she came closer to establishing her attack plan, those silvers started going to Yang more and more until-

"Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!" Ruby exclaimed, pointing across the table to her older sibling.

"Bring it on!" Yang responded with a pumping of her fist.

Selecting one card in her hand, Ruby stood to her feet, holding it high above her head. "I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet!"

Yang gasped, a look of horror on her face, and chose to throw a hand over her heart for more dramatic effect when Ruby slapped the card faceup upon the table so all could behold and tremble at the military might of Atlas.

"Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!" Hooking her thumbs together with fingers spread out in an improvised imitation of an airship, Ruby provided her own sound effects as she swung them in front of her, doing her best to imitate the sounds of the Atlesian dropships they witnessed earlier that day before ending with her impression of an explosion.

Yang granted her another gasp. "You fiend!"

Ruby crouched down until she was eye-level with the table. Selecting a trio of miniatures that were made to look like the dreadnaughts they saw today - Yang wondered if it really was Atlas's arrival that got Ruby to select it as her kingdom for this session -, she pushed them along the game board towards Mistral, making it a point to knock over one of the Ursai to show just how futile its resistance was as her ships made their way to the kingdom. "And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time only lasts one turn."

She stopped when she reached Mistral's borders, setting the representations of her fleet for an imaginary bombardment to the equally imaginary walls. When she looked up at Yang, her expression one of imminent victory, she clearly expected to see further reaction to the jeopardy that her kingdom was in.

So Yang probably enjoyed it far more than she should've when her dark chuckle instantly replaced that look on Ruby's face with one of dread, made even more apparent when Yang picked up one of her facedown cards to bring it into view. "Pretty sneaky, sis." She flipped the card around. "But you just activated my trap card!"

"Whaaaaat!?"

"Giant Nevermore!" Much like how Ruby did, Yang slapped the card onto the table and then took her own miniaturized version of the winged Grimm to bring it onto the field. "If I roll a seven or higher, Fatal Feathers will slice your fleet in two!"

"But," Ruby interjected, "if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!"

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take." Taking the dice, Yang shook them in her hand, all the while staring confidently at Ruby's challenging gaze. They only broke away when Yang tossed the dice so that they could see the results when they came to a rest.

A perfect seven.

"Ha!"

"Noooooooo!" Ruby screamed in anguish, watching her fleet get wiped away when Yang slapped them aside with the Nevermore. "My fearless soldiers!"

Yang shrugged. "Eh, most of them were probably androids."

Ruby nonetheless watched dismally as her miniatures and card were sent to the discard pile. "Goodbye my friends. You will be avenged!"

Oh, but it wasn't over yet. For Ruby's insolence, Yang was going to be merciless in administering her rightful punishment. "Not until I draw my rewards, which are double this round thanks to the Mistral Trade Route!"

"Bah!"

"Oh, and what's this?" After drawing said rewards from her deck, Yang paused at one, her grin widening as she unveiled it to Ruby. "The Smugglers of Wind Path?"

"Bah!" Ruby spat again. "Bah, I say!"

"Looks like I'm taking two cards from your hand."

"Have you no heart!?" When Yang reached over and took the designated spoils, she might as well have taken Ruby's spirit. Soon she was collapsing onto the table in defeat, moaning pathetically. "Noooo..."

"Well, Weiss," Yang stated cheerfully, turning to the heiress, "it's your turn."

Unlike her other two teammates, Weiss was staring at her cards dubiously. "I have...absolutely no idea what's going on."

 _Oh you silly, unknowing girl,_ Yang mentally pitied the sheltered Weiss. While it was Weiss who had given her support - a surprising amount, if Yang was honest - to Ruby's plan of the team spending the day together moments before the start of the food fight, it quickly grew apparent that the fencer had no idea what she was getting herself into, especially with a board game that she proved to be rather inept at. Tests and a future management of a Dust company she could do. Leading her tiny plastic army over a board with the help of carefully-played cards? Not so much it seemed.

Nor was she aware of the underhanded tactics that experts liked to turn to when they found themselves with a tempting target. Yang was no exception, leaning over and slinging an arm around Weiss to draw her closer and to make her cards visible. "Look, it's easy. You're playing as Vacuo which means all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus."

"That sounds dumb," was all the other girl said, still staring blankly at her cards.

She wasn't doing anything about Yang's closeness and the brawler took advantage of her position to start shifting through her hand. "See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge- oh!" She lifted one card from amongst the rest. "Resourceful Raider! Now you can take Ruby's discard Air Fleet-"

"Noooo..." said leader pathetically whimpered.

"-and put it in your hand!"

"Okay...?" Weiss said uncertainly, ignoring her defeated partner and listening to the saboteur she unwittingly allowed to infiltrate her sovereignty.

It was that saboteur who decided that she had some very good cards that needed to be taken out of the equation. "And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance boost against natural hazards, you could use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!" Narrowing her eyes threateningly, she then warned, "Just know, that I will not forget this declaration of war."

"And that means...?"

"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!" Ruby tearfully translated.

Weiss glanced at Ruby, then her cards, then the board, and it all seemed to click. With a wicked cackle, she threw down her cards and was on her feet, the would-be conqueror standing high over the world that was to be hers. "Yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your homes, and weep as they take your children from your very arms!"

 _Jeez, everyone's on a power trip today._ Fortunately, Yang had the perfect tool to put Weiss in her place. She scooped up her other facedown card and held it up to Weiss. "Trap card."

Weiss blinked, staring dumbly at it. "Huh?"

Before she had the chance to realize what was happening, Yang went to town on the board, pooling the forces of Vacuo into one messy pile and circling them with her Raging Ursai. Sitting back and admiring her handiwork, Yang declared, "Your armies have been destroyed."

It took a moment before it dawned on Weiss as to how her seemingly assured victory had so quickly and ruthlessly been replaced by utter defeat. Slumping down into her seat, tears in her eyes, she exclaimed, "I hate this game of emotions we play!"

Her partner in Beacon now her partner in defeat, Ruby went to console Weiss, hopping upon her lap and flinging her arms around her. "Stay strong, Weiss," she instructed mournfully, burrowing her face against her shoulder. "We'll make it through this together!"

Yang awaited Weiss's response, watching with some suspense as Weiss instinctively leaned away from Ruby and glanced at everyone else around them. But just as she was fearing the worst, Weiss suddenly returned Ruby's embrace. "Shut up! Don't touch me!" Her weeping was accompanied with a squeeze that contradicted her demands.

Yang relaxed and smiled at the two, happy to see just how much Ruby had melted through to the Ice Queen. A girl who had left behind all her friends at a previous academy and another who hardly had any friends in her life. She was not only happy for Ruby to have found such a friend to be so close to but she was honestly happy for Weiss as well. Having learned some of what of Weiss's childhood was like and having come from a family that loved and supported each other, Yang's sisterly urges were weak against the heiress's plight. Once they got past their disputes that came up concerning Blake and Weiss proved to be willing to save Ruby's life at the risk of losing her own, Yang saw her as family now.

 _This was a good idea,_ she decided, finding the card game to be the perfect way to cement their new family. She and Ruby had played _Remnant: The Game_ a lot with their father and uncle along with some of their friends from Signal so it was only fitting to spend part of the day with their partners fighting for imaginary control of the world. Remembering her own, Yang turned to address the fourth player at her right. "Alright, Blake, you're up!"

Her black-themed partner was resting her cheek within her palm, cards down and gaze - and attention, apparently - elsewhere. Yang's words snapped her back to the present. "Huh? Oh." She lifted her cards up but didn't look at them. "Sorry, what am I doing?"

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the kingdoms of Remnant," Yang reminded her.

With nearly a century having gone by since the end of the Great War, it was considered safe enough to make a game out of Remnant's history of excessive conflict. Other than the plastic miniatures that represented either their armies or the hostile Grimm, players made use of cards that were played to the strengths and weaknesses of the factions that were demonstrated during the war. Atlas provided players with the most pieces, making it a strong kingdom from early to midgame before the other kingdoms' advantages came into play during the late game. Vacuo had its environmental hazards and units that relied on mobility and guerilla-style tactics but Yang liked playing as Mistral which benefited from its location on an isthmus. The thin strip of land was the key to Mistral's existence as it took away the advantage of the Grimm's numbers by funneling them into narrow chokepoints and it worked equally well against invading kingdoms who either had to take the long way around the continent and attack their harbors with the defenders having more than enough time to prepare or risk going through the Grimm for a quicker and straighter shot at Mistral's walls - something that Ruby had just tried and failed to do. Mistral was a capital that relied the most on gambling and Yang was definitely a gambler who enjoyed the rolling of the dice with victory meaning big rewards.

Blake stared at her cards but still didn't seem to be all there. "Right..."

Yang couldn't help but frown at her girlfriend's spacey attitude. While Weiss supported their game day, Blake had been the opposite and had reluctantly followed them to the library where they were currently set up. Yang had hoped that Blake would get into it once they started playing but that was obviously not turning out as well as she hoped.

 _She was kind of distant yesterday, too,_ Yang remembered and seeing something clearly bothering Blake bothered her. Going by their past experiences, anything that bugged Blake wasn't a laughing matter.

Before she could even begin to ask what was wrong, Jaune came up to their table. "Hey, can I play?"

"Sorry, Jaune," Ruby apologized, having returned to her side of the table and her cards. "We've already got four people."

"Besides, this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt you possess," Weiss added. While Jaune had been steadily improving in his leadership duties, the Schnee heiress remained a bit cold to him. With him having previously held a crush on her and pursuing in multiple attempts of asking her out before he got the hint, it kept Weiss on guard in case that crush hadn't disappeared as they were all assuming it did.

"You attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago," Yang nonetheless pointed out in Jaune's defense, getting a glare from Weiss and a haughty 'hmph' in reply.

"Bring it on, Ice Queen!" Jaune spoke in challenge. "I'll have you know that I've been told that I'm a natural-born leader!"

Weiss raised a disbelieving brow. "By who? Your mother?"

"And Pyrrha!"

"Hello again!" his second greeted brightly, waving from her spot at the table next to RWBY's. While JNPR had followed the other team to the library, most of them were immersed in reading with Pyrrha in possession of a comic while Ren was looking through a thick tome. Yang had caught more than one look of disapproval from the quieter boy whenever RWBY got too loud in their game - which was often - but was choosing not to say anything. Nora had fallen asleep with her head right in the middle of the book but Ren was just steadily flipping pages on top of her as he continued reading.

"Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!" Jaune begged.

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!" Weiss replied.

"Why not? You've trusted me with way more important stuff before! I mean you told us all that Blake is secretly a fau-"

"Fun-loving person!" Pyrrha interrupted, having shot from her table to slap her hand over Jaune's mouth. "Whom we all admire and respect!"

Everyone turned uneasily towards Blake. After RWBY discovered her secret, it had been suggested that JNPR could be let in on it. The two first-year teams were close, spending a lot of time together, and all the members of JNPR had proven that they were trustworthy and held no biased opinions towards the faunus in general as they voiced no objections to inviting and taking in the rabbit faunus Velvet to their lunch table for all of first semester to protect her from bullying as the rest of her team had a different lunch period. After some debate, Blake agreed with Weiss having been the one to tell JNPR.

The glare that Blake aimed at Jaune said that she was starting to regret that choice.

To his credit, Jaune appeared thoroughly scolded as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Right...that." He bowed to the team. "Ladies, enjoy your battle."

"'Sup, losers?"

Ruby was the first to greet the latest arrival with a smile. "Hey, Sun."

They'd become acquainted with the monkey faunus who stood off to the side. Having first seen him being chased by some detectives after allegedly stowing away on a freighter, no one had expected him to be the Huntsman-in-training that he revealed himself to be later on. They got the story soon after: that he did in fact stowaway not once but twice, having snuck aboard on a ship from Mistral bound for Vacuo where he then switched to another for the latter half of the journey to Vale. When Blake ran away after unintentionally admitting to her White Fang ties and subsequent faunus heritage, it was Sun who had not only followed but stuck by her side from the beginning, going so far as to fight against Torchwick and the White Fang under his command with the cat faunus.

He was cocky, showed very little regard for the law what with his hobby of petty theft, and spontaneous to a fault. Yang liked him. Other than being that kind of guy you always invited to a party, there was that side of him that hinted to an honorable spirit at his core. Beneath the craving for adventure and excitement - which Yang could relate to -, there was something about him that went against the idea of abandoning or simply going on his way and ignoring someone when they were in trouble. And though he may commit his own crimes, he still possessed a moral compass that guided him between right and wrong with the White Fang being too far into the wrong for him.

There was only one tiny little flaw he had that could irk Yang here and there...

"Ruby, Yang, Blake," he greeted each, going around the table. When he reached Weiss, he said, "Ice Queen."

"Why does everyone keep calling me that!?"

Sun gestured to the tall, blue-haired boy next to him. "I never got to formally introduce you to my old friend."

The friend in question was looking at the unfolded game board and the scattered miniatures. "Aren't libraries for reading?"

"Thank you!" Ren unexpectedly shouted.

"Pancakes!" Nora cried out, jerking awake.

"Shut up, don't be a nerd," Sun complained.

" _Intellectual_ ," the boy stressed, annoyed. "Okay? Thank you." To the others, he waved and smiled pleasantly while he introduced himself. "I'm Neptune."

The guy may as well have been taken out of one of the teen pop-style bands that Yang followed. Very vibrant blue hair with a pair of yellow-tinted goggles worn on his forehead, exposing his darker blue eyes. Red jacket with a black upturned collar, under which was a white dress shirt and black tie combo. And then there were the straps: around his wrists over the fingerless gloves, his shoes, and the thighs of his gray jeans to fasten some padding.

It was too colorful and stylish for Yang as she preferred the more natural but downright _gorgeous_ looks of her favored members of _The Achieve Men_ , but she knew a lot of friends back at Signal and those who followed her into Beacon who would swoon over this tall and tan Neptune.

They would probably speak with a voice similar to Weiss's, the heiress taking a noticeable and uncharacteristic interest in the boy. "So, Neptune, where are you from?"

"Haven." Apparently aware of it, Neptune's walked smoothly around the table to approach Weiss. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, Snow Angel."

Yang inwardly chuckled, way too experienced in the smooth-talking ways that Neptune was applying here. Weiss proved to be not as seasoned, visibly taken aback by the introduction and vainly attempted to recover with a smile that was clearly shy. "Um, I'm Weiss."

"Pleasure to meet you," he said, his own confident and sparkling.

Behind them, Jaune was looking to his teammates and mouthing what was clearly 'Are you kidding me!?'.

"Oh, what's that?" Ruby suddenly interrupted, shattering the building atmosphere. She was pointing at Neptune's back where a folded block of metal was resting. "Is that your weapon?"

"Why, yes it is," Neptune confirmed. He reached behind him to grab the block, the object transforming as soon as he removed it. When he held it towards Ruby, a stock had extended out the back to show a very obvious trigger. It was no ordinary gun though, a rectangular section of metal having slid away to reveal the length of the barrel which became charged with blue energy as the gun powered on.

Ruby was enthralled. "Ooooh, a laser gun." She was taking a keen interest in the crackling sparks. "I haven't seen many students with one because of how complex they are but this isn't like what some militaries use. The power cell seems bigger and obviously more powerful. Modifying the power insulator and conductor to compensate must've taken time since I heard that's the most difficult part."

"I..." Neptune was looking at Ruby with surprise, unsure of how to react. Then he grinned. "Actually, it wasn't that difficult." He pointed to the middle of the gun, somewhere behind the barrel. "The real chore was the high-energy flux aperture. This isn't just a rifle; it turns into a glaive, too. The flux aperture produces a negative charge which helps stabilize the positively-charged energy current to the blade and keeps it from disintegrating any of the parts when I switch modes."

"And instead of using it to shoot, you use it to help cut," Ruby predicted, becoming increasingly starry-eyed.

Once again Neptune had to stare at Ruby as if to make sure she was real. "Yeah..." His grin was no longer suave and was beginning to look more like the scythe-wielder's. "Yeah, exactly!"

"That's so cool! I could never do something like that!" She hastily retrieved Crescent Rose, her weapon currently inactive. "This is Crescent Rose; my scythe and high-impact sniper rifle. Not as high-tech but I worked hard on the design. I'll be happy to show mine if you show me more of yours."

"Yeah, why not? I mean we can do that-" Neptune broke off, becoming aware of how everyone else had gone quiet while the two had been actively engaged in their conversation. Yang was amused but Sun was hiding his face in his hand while Weiss was looking warily between the two of them. "Later." He abruptly returned his weapon to his back and tugged on the collar of his jacket, suddenly finding the act much more interesting. "You appear to be busy right now."

"Oh, right, we're in the middle of a game!" Ruby set Crescent Rose down and retook her cards, unconcerned by Neptune's change in demeanor.

An odd silence took over but one that Sun chose to break. He leaned over Blake, taking a look at her cards. "I never took you as the board game playing type."

There it was: that aforementioned flaw and Yang felt a tingling of jealousy at how close Sun was to her girlfriend. It wasn't solely the proximity or this single instance as, over the weeks since Sun settled himself into Beacon, he had been showing the most interest in Blake. Yang tried to explain it away as them both being faunus and having worked together beforehand but the increasing number of occurrences was making her suspicious.

She and Blake had only recently gotten together, their coupling having been marked with a kiss right after bonding, and the faunus had immediately made it clear that she didn't want to broadcast it. Yang agreed of course, not only because she knew how private - very private as it turned out - Blake tended to be, but also because she had gotten up to date as to what it had been like for her growing up in the White Fang and dealing with all the prejudice that followed her and her race. Dating hadn't been high on her priority list and the last time she got close to someone she ended up paying for it. Their current relationship carried a lot of trust and courage on Blake's part and Yang was treating it with the sacredness that it deserved: limiting their affections to their room - and only when Weiss and Ruby weren't around or couldn't see - while indulging in covert and too-brief shows that could be passed off as nothing like at the cafeteria.

Yang was tempted to give a not-so-covert show but held herself back. She liked Sun and appreciated how he had been there for Blake but she secretly wished that he would put another foot of space between him and Blake. Or six.

 _It's fine for me to get a little jealous, right?_ she questioned to herself, hoping she wasn't becoming like some of the other boys and girls that she'd seen and occasionally dated. _Yeah, totally fine._

Fortunately, it didn't seem like Blake was taking any interest in Sun's advances. Or anything at all. Sliding back in her chair, Blake stood up and left her cards on the table. "Well I think I'm done playing, actually," she spoke indifferently. "I'll see you guys later."

They all watched her go with Sun making a silent gesture that asked what he did wrong.

"Women," Nora commented, attracting a fair share of looks in response.

Yang's gaze stayed at where Blake disappeared to, growing more bothered. Instinct told her to go after her but she didn't get up to fulfill the demand. She wanted to respect Blake's privacy but...she remembered how well that went last time. The last time she didn't ask Blake what was wrong, she severely regretted it and nearly lost her.

 _But this is different,_ she tried to convince herself. _We're together now and everyone accepts her. Even if she's keeping something from us, it can't possibly be something that would have her leave without us again, right? Right._

Still...

 _Fine, I'll ask. Later though._ That being after she won this game.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asked, referring to the problem of their missing fourth player.

Jaune was about ready to jump on the opportunity but Neptune was already gripping the empty chair. "If no one objects, I'll jump in."

"No objections here!" Weiss said a bit too quickly.

After Yang and Ruby gave their own consent, Neptune took the seat and picked up Blake's cards. "Is this the game where each player takes a kingdom and tries to conquer Remnant?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah. You ever played before?"

"Once or twice," he replied, shifting through the cards uncertainly and reading each description. "I played a couple times but I don't think I ever got the full hang of it."

"Don't worry," Yang assured, smothering a conspiratorial grin. "I'll go easy on you. Blake was playing Vale so take your time."

And while he did that, Yang would be using her time to pick out her strategy on how to crush this last pocket of resistance. Ruby and Weiss were as good as finished with token forces remaining. The only obstacle left was Vale and Neptune was quickly proving to be a true newbie by examining one card front-to-back, inadvertently flashing its identity for all to see. Wasn't bad but not great either which gave Yang further confidence to attack. She was out of trap cards anyway.

Yang selected one of the cards she took from Ruby's hand. Hot Drop: a high-altitude drop of whatever selection of ground forces a player had on hand. It was a powerful asset for Mistral players as their ground forces were much more fearsome than the plentiful androids of Atlas players. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Neptune replied with a shrug.

Already celebrating her victory, Yang began her attack. "So your demise will begin with Hot Drop!" Setting that card down, she plucked the miniatures that represented her Mistral warriors and performed an exaggerated arcing of her arm to mimic such a drop that landed them smack dab in the center of Vale. "With this, I'll be able to strike right in the middle of your army!"

Ruby emitted an 'Ooooooh' and Yang took pleasure of the understood peril. Weiss didn't seem to get it but she was Weiss so who cares? And Neptune-

He was flipping over a facedown card that Yang hadn't seen him place and he no longer appeared unsure. Grinning knowingly, he announced, "Trap card."

When he and Sun shared a high-five, Yang had this odd feeling that told her that she had just been played.

* * *

_"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?"_

Blake left her friends behind, taking the stairs to the ground floor to reach the exit. Her hidden cat ears caught an aggravated noise that belonged to Yang with laughter and cheers following. Blake paused at the door, waiting until it all died down, and then pushed her way through the threshold.

_Roman craned his neck as best as he could with her sword at his throat so that he could sneer at her. "The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together."_

It was getting late, the sun nearing the horizon with the fading light creating more prominent orange rays that slipped through the surrounding buildings. Beneath the longer shadows that were cast, students walked and chatted amongst themselves. Mixed with the earthly browns of Beacon uniforms were the darker variants of Haven students who traveled all the way from Mistral. Those hailing from the harsher environment of Atlas wore white long sleeve shirts and gray wool jackets to combat the cold while students of Vacuo compensated for the heat of their homeland with a mix of casual clothing that was devoid of uniformity unlike their fellows.

A breeze wafted through, billowing out her hair. While brushing aside the strands to keep them out of her eyes, her fingers played along the fabric of her bow. She looked up, inspecting the clouds high above.

_And the armed Bullheads that hovered overhead, jet wash blasting down from their engines. Their side hatches were open, exposing the large number of faunus who stood within their holds. All of them were equipped with swords or rifles and all of them wore hoods over their heads. Beneath them were the iron masks with the slits for eyes and the fangs that pointed down beneath the cheek guards._

She started walking through the courtyard, merging into the student traffic. What she left behind at the library she was now in the thick of as she listened to passing conversations. The amount made most a jumbled mess but at certain points she would catch a clear snippet.

"Aren't you hot in that thing?"

"You're from Vacuo, right? What are the Nefertitis like compared to our Taijitu?"

_"The only way they'll learn is if we show every last one of them the folly of ever believing that they were superior to us!" came the declaration, the glowing red detailing of the mask making his words and appearance more sinister._

"Malva!"

Blake searched for the source of the call to find that another was doing the same thing; a girl of pale purple hair, clad in the uniform of a Beacon student. She appeared startled at finding herself being all but tackled by another student, this one wearing plain shorts and a t-shirt, who seized her in a hug. It transformed into joy when they pulled away and she could see the features of her supposed attacker. "Trino? You didn't tell me you were coming!"

Now it was her who was initiating another hug and Blake could see that the sleeves of her brown blazer were rolled up so that the line of purple feathers along her forearms were left free, lines of turquoise forming pretty designs along their surfaces. How the feathers bristled with excitement gave them a hypnotic effect.

"I wanted it to be a surprise! I got here last night with the rest of my school!" the other girl – Trino – informed. Unlike Malva, she didn't have a bird-like trait or any animal trait at all for that matter. But she was still smiling and she was taking Malva's hand to pull her along to a small group of what had to be more Vacuo students who were watching with interest. "Come on, I want to introduce you to my team!"

_"We've made no difference," he said years before, just a child but his words carried the resentment that would follow him into adulthood._

"Ah, Miss Belladonna!"

The faunus was happening to cross in front of the entrance to one of the buildings that housed a number of lecture halls, one of which was reserved for their Grimm Studies course. Their professor stepped out right into her path and she was about to silently walk around until the greeting got her to stop and meet the squinting gaze beneath those bushy brows. "Hello, Professor Port."

"A fine evening, is it not?" he inquired cheerfully.

She tried to match his smile and knew she was coming up short. "That it is."

"All this young blood, such promise of each from every corner of the world!" he boasted, admiring the mixture of students. "Truly inspiring!"

"That it is," she repeated although remembering the feathered faunus and her reunion with an old friend gave it a bit more strength.

"A sight it will be to see them working together in the coming missions, defending a kingdom that isn't their own but will prosper under their combined guardianship! I give thanks every year when I'm gifted with the opportunity to see how promising the future will be in the hands of such capable students! Though, not to diminish their worth, a few words from the old and wise like myself surely deserves some credit!"

Blake didn't reply but not to avoid feeding his trademark self-admiration. She was watching her professor expectantly, anticipating and even wanting him to make even a vague mentioning of what it is that could be awaiting them in terms of their future duty.

It didn't happen, the quizzical twitching of that moustache occurring instead before he asked, "Is there something the matter, my dear? A fine evening such as this, with so many teams welcoming and interacting with one another, it seems inappropriate for you to be wandering alone!"

Blake shook her head, hiding her disappointment. "I was with my team earlier at the library with a couple students from Haven Academy. I just thought I'd go back to the dorm early. We have your class tomorrow, don't we?"

"That you do, and I can see why you would want to get all the rest you can for it!" Her deflection seemed to work. "I have quite an exciting tale selected for tomorrow that I'm sure you'll learn a valuable lesson from!"

"Right." Using the opening, Blake went on her way. "Goodnight, professor."

"Goodnight to you too! And remember: stay vigilant!"

 _I seem to be the only one who is,_ she silently rebuked. It subdued the excited buzz of students who were meeting and even reuniting with individuals far from their homes and Blake made sure to avoid any more interactions for the rest of the journey to the dormitory. With everyone outside, there were only a few students in the common room and when she passed them and made her way up to her team's floor, she found the quieter interior to be more fitting.

But when she entered her team's room, she found everything to be disturbingly quiet and still with the empty and motionless bunks being the worst. It led her to opening the large window, letting the air in to rustle blankets and curtains, providing minimal activity, and then she took a seat in the middle of her bed. The coming of night was making the air increasingly chilly but she didn't draw up the covers for protection. She drew her knees up in their place with her arms encircling and pressing them tight against her chest.

She wished that she could remain this way: closing herself off from the dangers as she did to the cold. She wished that she could be like her friends who were enjoying their time here, immersing themselves with simple games and getting to know new friends. All of them happy and unworried.

Except her. She had been close to doing so before, willing to leave all her troubles behind and make the most out of the new life she was developing. But that was when she thought she managed to separate herself with thousands of miles between her and the White Fang. The small signs of the organization's influence in Vale she believed she could ignore until she realized they were preceding hints to the invasion that now had her former comrades firmly within the city of Vale.

Questioning whether she was going to fight them or not was pointless. She knew she was willing to fight them and had done so previously, taking up Gambol Shroud against them despite how her blades had once been forged and wielded in their service.

No, fighting them wasn't the problem. The problem was whether or not she was going to do so alone.

Once she was assured that she still had a place at Beacon and within Team RWBY, Blake allowed herself to believe that everything was going to be okay for the first time in her life. She had a cause she could fight for again, had friends, teammates, even a girl she loved who she trusted to be there for her, including whatever future battles were sure to come. The White Fang were here and Blake knew from experience that they were going to come back, stronger and more vicious than ever. Any setbacks were answered with more violence and, after what she had seen at the docks, they were steadily growing with more weapons and numbers.

And then there was Torchwick.

Never had the White Fang allied themselves with a human and the scene she saw that night spoke of more than just allying themselves with him: they were _following_ him. Obeying him. All for this 'business venture' that Blake knew nothing about but was apparently enough to gain their obedience.

They were planning something. What it was she had no idea but it had to be big. And all that her team was doing was sitting around and enjoying themselves, continuing their days as if nothing happened. She didn't think anything of it at first. After what they had all gone through, they deserved a break. But it was weeks now and not one person had uttered so much as a word about what could be going on.

She wanted to be the one to say something. She desperately wanted to get them to focus and figure out just what it was the White Fang was planning.

But…

_Yang was screaming, struggling in her grip as Blake tried to hold her back. Ahead of them were their teammates, Weiss on her knees and clinging to Ruby's limp body, blood staining her hands and clothing._

_Three days later and Blake was watching the reverse through a door partially open. Beyond it, Weiss was in tears, exhausted and broken, and Ruby held her in a tight embrace from her position on her hospital bed._

Did she really want to be the one to launch them back into the fray with the chance of repeating those scenes?

She couldn't ignore it. She spent nearly her entire life ignoring and going with the changing tides of the White Fang without saying a word and hoping for the best despite the growing body count. She may not have been able to change their eventual course, being so young at the time, but maybe she could've done something to prevent or delay their descent into greater butchery.

She couldn't do the same here. Not when she had Beacon. Not when she had RWBY and everyone else that she came to truly care about. There was still hope here.

Blake had been sitting on her bunk contemplating her choices long enough for day to fully change into night. A hidden cat ear reflexively angled to the door at hearing the knob turning. The door was flung open, a flash of yellow going on through, and then there came the annoyed, "We should've never let him play!"

Her red sibling was next, stopping and smiling at her side. "You're just mad 'cause the new guy beat you."

 _Alone or together?_ Blake silently wondered as a white form entered, completing RWBY's lineup.

"See, if you had just attacked when I told you, none of this would've happened," Ruby added.

A need to distance herself from the ongoing happiness of her teammates convinced Blake that it was a question she didn't want answered yet. Or maybe that in itself was the answer: to take the fight and the consequences on her own and protect their happiness for as long as possible until there came the day when they would all be forced to participate in it. Either way, Blake was standing and heading to the door, doing her best to avoid any kind of contact but failed almost immediately when, instead of responding to Ruby, she saw Yang turn to look at her, annoyance switching with concern and the faunus had a feeling that she was about to be drawn into a confrontation that would decide RWBY's future.

"Stop."

But it wasn't Yang who did it.

* * *

Weiss's firm command was enough to keep Blake from leaving. Her eyes fixed on her teammate's back, she spoke accusingly, "Lately you've been quiet, anti-social, and moody."

It was rallying the support of the others, Yang and Ruby shifting to regard Blake worriedly as well. Having been reaching for the door, Blake stopped and glanced over her shoulder, hand slowly falling away from it.

"I get that it's kind of your thing," Weiss went on, the corners of her lips raising a degree in silent victory as Blake rotated to fully address her, "but you've been doing it more than usual which, quite frankly, is unacceptable." She smoothed them into a thin line. "You made a promise to me – to _all_ of us – that you would let us know when something was wrong."

She didn't need her previous training of observation to spot tells or weak points in a competitor's disposition to exploit in negotiations as Blake wasn't putting up a fight. The darker-themed girl was bowing her head, eyes closing as if this was something that she had known was coming and was doing nothing to prevent it.

Weiss took advantage of it. She crossed her arms over her chest, reinforcing her favorable position over Blake as she finished off with, "So, Blake Belladonna. What. Is. Wrong?"

It was something that Weiss had noticed and decided that now was the perfect time to confront the faunus about it. It was just them in their dorm room, with no one to get in the way or intervene. It was a team matter and one that Weiss wanted to make sure would be settled here and now.

And, yes, she made sure to check that the last flight to Vale had already left. _There's no escape this time, Blake._

The heiress wasn't going to allow a repeat.

When Team RWBY reunited after the debacle that followed Blake running from them on a night like this, Weiss had forgiven her faunus teammate. Well, to be more precise, she agreed on putting their past differences behind them. As righteous as Weiss had originally believed herself to be, she could admit that, overtime, she began to realize and accept that there was some guilt to be found on her side of the war concerning her family's company and how it was run, such as when it came to the faunus people. However, although her need for retribution had been quelled and replaced with another to see her leader and team come back together, she wasn't stupid.

The White Fang were still out there which made them a problem. Other than the obvious thinking that those radicals being here meant that their crimes were only just beginning, there was a different kind of problem that Weiss made sure to be watchful for and spotted with Blake. Ruby and Yang she suspected might feel compelled to act but it was Blake in particular who deserved the most attention.

After all, when it came to the White Fang, it was something that the two of them shared: a need to do something about them. The difference between them was that Weiss had tried and given up while Blake needed some convincing if what Weiss suspected was true.

She got her answer as soon as Blake sighed and gave it to them. "I just…I don't understand how everyone can be so calm."

 _There it is,_ Weiss identified.

"You're still thinking about Torchwick?" Ruby asked for clarification.

"Torchwick, the White Fang - all of it!" Blake's gaze went to each of them but Weiss made sure to show that her position was indomitable. "Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!"

"Ozpin told us not to worry," Yang said. "Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it."

Weiss nodded to show her support, quietly thanking Yang and relieved that her suspicions were correct. After what nearly happened to Ruby, Weiss suspected that Yang would be as willing to let the real professionals work instead of attempting to do it themselves.

"Well I'm not!" Blake argued. "They don't know the White Fang like I do!"

Weiss held up a hand to show her turn to speak and, hopefully, put an early but definite end to this discussion. "Okay, between blowing up night clubs, stopping thieves, and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells. But let me be the voice of reason." It was her turn to look to the others. "We're students. We're not ready to handle this sort of situation."

There: simple and reasonable.

"Well, yeah, but-"

Weiss snapped her head to this word of resistance and seeing that it was _Ruby_ who was speaking up had her raising her voice a bit more than she intended as she repeated, "We're _not_ ready!"

"And we may never be ready!" Blake shouted and pointed to the open window. "Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day! They're out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is but it's coming!" Making sure to single out Weiss, she ended, "Whether we're ready…or not."

Weiss remained impassive, refusing to budge even if Blake's words stirred that ambition that she formerly held. She knew too well what Blake was feeling as she felt it all her life when she had been locked safely away in the Schnee manor while those associated with her name were murdered by the White Fang. Alone in her room, she had been afraid and helpless throughout her childhood.

Those miserable years also bred something else: hatred. Rage. A terrible yearning for revenge that grew and grew. It drove her to taking up the sword while her studies of business were swapped out with those of fighting in order to bring her into a position where she would be able to repay death with death. It was like poison coursing through her veins; a scalding dose of malice with the cure being the blood of the White Fang.

And in her pursuit for it, she nearly lost what had become precious to her.

"Ruby almost died last time," Weiss quietly said. "We did before what you're asking now: to fight a terrorist organization that's already killed plenty of humans and a wanted criminal who nearly killed her. You understand this, don't you?"

It was a low blow but one that Weiss wasn't ashamed of using. Blake wasn't unfazed by it, the passion abandoning her as she stared towards their leader.

"We're not ready," she repeated again. "This is beyond us. Let the police and the actual Huntsmen and Huntresses take care of this. If we have to fight, then we should do it when we have to. Not before."

That appeared to do it, Blake's shoulders slumping in defeat. Weiss took no joy in it. She wasn't doing this to humiliate her. She was doing this to protect her. To protect all of them.

There came a touch at her arm. "Weiss, I think we should do this."

Weiss jerked around. "Ruby, didn't you hear what I just said?"

Her partner nodded solemnly. "I did but Blake's right. I saw them at the docks. Torchwick and the White Fang are clearly up to something bad and a lot of people could get hurt. If there's some way that we can find out and prevent what they're doing, it's our duties as Huntresses to do so."

"Huntresses- _in-training_ ," Weiss emphasized. "We're still in the middle of our first year with three more to go. Even then, we don't have any of the experience that real Huntresses possess. What can we possibly do that they or a regular police officer can't do?"

"I was one of them," Blake replied, Ruby's assistance bringing her back. "I know their habits and how they work. We can use that to find out where they meet and plan to get information about what they're doing."

Having been mostly quiet, Yang took the opportunity to speak up. "I have my own sources. I can't do anything with the White Fang but I might be able to find clues about Torchwick." Her fingers curled into fists. "If we can't get anything from the Fang, I'll make sure we get something out of him."

"That's unless they get us instead," Weiss countered. "We can't just rush into this like we did last time."

Ruby squeezed her arm. "We won't. This'll be different. We'll be working together and doing this as a team. Right now we're just going to get information and find out what they're planning. If it becomes too dangerous, we'll tell Ozpin and let him and the others take care of it."

She didn't know if it was how sensible it sounded or the comforting weight on her person that inspired that part of her heart that was Ruby to settle her misgivings. Whatever the case, Weiss found her unyielding position crumbling not only against those steadfast silvers that had found her in the Emerald Forest and gone on to save her but also due to the combined efforts of the gathering of who were now her closest and only friends.

"You almost died," she nearly whispered.

Ruby smiled weakly. "And if we don't do this, a lot of other people can die instead. If Torchwick gets away with whatever he's planning and there could've been something that we could've done to stop it, I don't think I could ever think of myself as a Huntress. We're students, but that doesn't mean we should wait to help others if we're able to help them now and I can't do it without my best teammate."

It was almost exactly how Weiss thought of it when she chose her own path of revenge. Wanting to protect people from the White Fang, believing that she was the only one who could do so, but it was different here. Ruby wasn't doing it for revenge or acting out of anger when she had every right to do so after what almost happened to her. Torchwick and those he was working with were just criminals who needed to be stopped. This close, through the connection they shared, all Weiss got from Ruby was a strong sense of purpose to do what she came to Beacon to learn how to do that went beyond killing monsters.

There was also an equally strong sense of trust. Ruby didn't want to do this alone. This was not solely her battle but that of her team's and she wanted them all with her.

Weiss didn't have to say it when she agreed. Much like how she could feel so much of Ruby at this moment, her partner did the same and she stepped back, removing her hand from Weiss in order to better address her teammates with a confident grin, trying to lighten up the mood as the proposed, "All in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the kingdom of Vale, say 'aye'!"

Yang was instantly in favor. "Yes!" To Blake, she said, "I love it when you're feisty!"

Weiss sighed, accepting her loss. "Well, I suppose it could be fun." She didn't have connections to the criminal underworld or the White Fang, but she did have one of the richest and most influential Dust companies with her name literally on it. She had to admit, maybe the odds weren't as stacked as she originally feared.

"…None of you said 'aye'," Ruby muttered disappointedly.

"Alright then." A rejuvenated Blake smiled with relief. "We're in this together."

"Let's hatch a plan!"

"Yeah!" Yang cheered.

Ruby then gasped. "I left my board game in the library!"

Weiss slapped her palm against her forehead. "We're doomed."

* * *

Ruby ran out through her team's door, shouting over her shoulder while running. "I'll be right back!"

Facing forward, any plans of toppling radical groups and jailing criminals were done away with as Ruby thought of how she _just_ replaced all the miniatures she was missing a few days ago in preparation for her planned team game night. If she reached the library and saw that someone stole her game then she would-

A figure in black was right in front of her and Ruby ran into them. They proved to be sturdier with Ruby bouncing off and landing on her butt. It was from that position that she looked to see who she ran into, an apology already prepared. "Oh, sorry! Are…you okay?"

"I'm fine." They held out a hand to her while smiling reassuringly. "Just watch where you're going."

"Oh, right." Ruby chuckled nervously and accepted the help. "Sorry."

Once she got back on her feet, she discovered that she was actually in the presence of two students. The one she ran into – a dark-skinned girl with red eyes and mint green hair – and a tall boy with silver-gray hair and eyes.

"I'm Ruby," she introduced herself and took an interest in their black uniforms. "Are you…new?"

"Visiting from Haven, actually," replied a third person and the first girl stepped aside to reveal a second behind her, wearing the same gray and black checkered skirt along with the black jacket.

 _Haven…_ Ruby mentally repeated. _Isn't that the school where Sun and Neptune said they were from?_ These must be classmates of theirs then; more students from Mistral.

The young leader took in the features of the other girl. Her skin was a much lighter shade but her hair was darker, hanging over the front of her shoulder and falling down to her chest. Long bangs obscured her left eye but the right was visible, showing its narrower appearance and the amber color of her iris. Ruby was reminded of Blake's eyes but while the faunus's were brighter and more akin to gold, this one was tarnished with a duller orange coloring.

 _Have we…met before?_ She didn't know why but Ruby found something familiar about this girl. She tried to think if she had so much as seen her before but as hard as she tried she couldn't think of such an instance. _She just said she was from Haven so…_

Maybe she was thinking of someone else.

"Oooh, you're here for the festival!" Ruby realized. "But exchange students have their own dormitory."

"I guess we just got turned around," the boy said.

"Don't worry, happens all the time!" Ruby could remember her own difficulties at finding her way around Beacon when she first arrived. Wanting to help, she tried to remember where she heard the dormitories were for visiting students, eventually settling on gesturing to the right of the hallway. "Uh, your building is just east of here."

The boy and the girl she ran into were already walking by to follow her directions but the other lingered, giving Ruby a friendly smile of appreciation. "Thanks. Maybe we'll see you around."

"Yeah, maybe." It was while watching them leave that Ruby remembered her manners. "Oh!" She waved after them. "And welcome to Beacon!" Once they were gone, the retrieval of her game board regained importance and Ruby went to the stairs. As she descended down them, she mentally summed up her interactions with those three Mistral students.

_They seemed nice._

* * *


	3. A Minor Hiccup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grammar Note: In case anyone remembered from Soulbound, when it came to androids, holograms, and characters speaking on scrolls or other communication devices, I decided to italicize and underline their lines. Going into this chapter that had a lot of those, I quickly realized that that was stupid and immediately put a stop to it. That is all.

Even before she and Blake became a couple, Yang had decided that she had been fortunate to land herself with a good-looking partner. Sure, there was when they first met in the auditorium with Blake in her pajamas but what would always remain in Yang's mind was how the Ursa had dropped at her feet due to the black beauty standing behind it, one hand on the ribbon that was attached to the beast's downfall that had stabbed deep into its spine.

Since officially becoming girlfriends, Yang found herself taking longer and more thorough looks at Blake.

"I thought that class would never end," the faunus in question remarked, tightening her signature ribbons around one arm while pacing in the middle of their dorm room.

"Uh huh," Yang responded, watching her from high up on her bunk.

This was an occasion that was particularly special. While Yang had begun to notice details that she hadn't really thought too much before concerning Blake like how much of her legs were bared by the skirt of her school uniform – made better with how Blake refused to wear the knee socks – or how the white shirt and black vest of her combat outfit teased and attracted Yang's gaze with the meager showing of her smooth stomach or Yang being hit with a sudden desire to see if that yukata was really as warm and comfy as it looked on Blake with a surprise cuddle, those were moments restricted to wardrobes that she had seen Blake in numerous times. Now she found herself inspecting Blake in something new and different and she was enjoying the view.

The white shirt that Blake wore offered more than just a better exposed midriff as the low v-neck cut gave Yang a marginal understanding of what others must feel when she wore her shirts and tops that directed attention to her cleavage. Blake may not have her size but the amount of skin that had never been allowed for the viewing pleasure before more than made up for it. How that shirt had a zipper at the front influenced a number of delectable fantasies – ones that Yang wasn't going to pursue but no one can fault her for thinking about them, right? Her lower half remained largely the same with tight black pants and boots but the cloth hanging from behind that Yang dubbed as an 'asscape' kept drawing her attention and she couldn't help but think that the waistband and fastened belt of her pants were lower than usual.

"Yang?" Done with her ribbons, there was nothing to distract Blake from how Yang was visibly roaming up and down her body.

Yang hummed in question.

"What are you looking at?"

"You," she answered without a hint of shame. Having been lying along her bunk with her head propped up in her hand, Yang made it a point to bend one leg up higher and place her other hand on top to adopt what she hoped was a sexier pose and arching a brow seductively. "All of you."

She hoped her own ensemble would have the same effect on Blake. It showed a bit less than her usual selection of clothing but the short, mid-sleeved jacket, cream top, black shirt, and thigh-high stockings with various straps and belts gave her the appearance of someone ready for a party. It was fitting for where Yang planned on going but she was currently thinking of a different kind of party that Blake was invited to.

The sideways movement of Blake's eyes told Yang that she was having the desired response before she stopped and immediately directed them to a corner of the room. She said nothing in reply, probably because she couldn't think of anything to say. There was a healthy blush at her cheeks that betrayed her efforts to appear indignant.

That was something else that had changed. Before, Yang had fun teasing such a reserved and serious partner with an occasional joke and prodding to shake her composure. Now she was absolutely merciless, taking whatever chance she could get to fluster Blake.

She didn't get the chance to continue though as that was when the curtains of Ruby's bunk were pushed aside to reveal their leader. "Alright guys, today's the day! The investigation _begins_!" Giggling, Ruby jumped down, nearly stomping on Weiss's feet who backed up just in time.

It was Ruby who insisted that they wear 'super-special investigator disguises' for their self-assigned missions but she hardly made any miraculous changes to herself. Other than her gray, long-sleeve shirt and an abstract shape of metal at her left shoulder, she still had the same color scheme of black and red with the overalls-corset combination over the shirt being very similar to her blouse. She still had her red skirt and, of course, a hooded cape that was worn more like a scarf.

"I'm glad to see we're taking this so seriously," Weiss remarked irritably. This was not limited to Ruby as she glowered up at Yang.

"Hey, we've got a plan." Breaking her pose – not so much because of Weiss as it was for her baby sister being present -, Yang pretended to examine one of her gauntlets, the visible shells spinning to make it more convincing. "That's…moderately serious."

"Right!" Ruby said. "Everyone remember their roles?"

"You and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistences." Out of all of them, Weiss was the most unchanged with her outfit consisting of a white skirted peacoat and gray thigh-length, high-heeled boots. "Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem."

Blake went next, having recovered from Yang's teasing at this point and holding herself high. "The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning."

Yang hopped down from her bunk to join her team. "I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard." She put a bit of effort to make herself sound confident to hide any of her misgivings. They had nothing to do with her part of the plan as she had the second easiest job next to Weiss and Ruby's.

"Great!" came Ruby. "We'll meet up near Yang to go over what we found. Let's do this!"

"Yeah!" came an unexpected call at their window, causing all of Team RWBY to jump from it in surprise. The culprit, when they all whirled around, turned out to be Sun, the monkey faunus hanging upside down from a branch of the tree outside thanks to his tail.

"Sun!?" Blake exclaimed.

"How did you get up there?" Yang asked. Their dorm room was a few stories high and the tree that Sun was using as a perch didn't offer many low-hanging branches to make any ascension easy.

"Aw, it's easy; I do it all the time," Sun casually replied.

"You do _what_!?" Weiss questioned shrilly.

"I climb trees all the time!"

Weiss narrowed her eyes at Sun as if searching for any kind of deception that his easygoing smile may be hiding. Honestly, while Yang believed Sun was telling the innocent truth, she made a mental note to make sure that they kept their curtains closed more often; she wasn't sure if being a peeping Tom was another minor crime that he didn't mind committing.

With a swing of his tail, Sun flipped through their window and landed on his feet within their room. Inspecting the four girls and their getups, his smile widened. "So, are we finally getting back at that Torchwick guy?"

" _We_ are going to investigate the situation," Blake explained and gestured to the rest of RWBY. "As a team."

"Sorry, Sun," Ruby apologized. "We don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to."

"Pfft, that's dumb!" Sun criticized. "You should always get friends involved." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and back to the window. "That's why I brought Neptune!"

The members of RWBY looked at one another in bafflement before going to the window and sticking their heads out. Sure enough, there was Neptune, his back flush with the wall of the dormitory as he sought to keep his footing on the small ledge that was all between him and a long fall down. At seeing them, he grinned coolly. "'Sup?"

"How did you even get up here?" Ruby asked, it being cleared that, unlike Sun, Neptune didn't climb the tree.

"I have my ways." He looked down and that cool demeanor was shaken at the reminder of how high he was. Pressing his back even further against the dormitory if that was possible, he nervously asked, "Seriously though, can I come in? We're like… _really_ high up right now."

Weiss held out a hand which Neptune gladly took. With her guidance, he got to the window without incident until he nearly tripped over the short bookshelf that was located beneath it and Weiss had to prevent him from falling onto her by placing another hand at his chest.

"Thanks." Taking note of Weiss's hand in his own and the other that lingered, that smooth smile of his came back as well as that low, suave tone when he said, "Didn't expect to be dropping in."

Yang rolled her eyes – she had a feeling she was going to be doing this a lot – but Weiss didn't share her reaction. She jerked away from Neptune but not out of disgust if her own blush had anything to say about it. After a loud clearing of her throat, she stiffly replied, "It was my pleasure."

"So, Torchwick," Sun cut in. "Big plans. Want in."

"No," Blake immediately replied. "You're not coming, Sun."

Sun gave her a long-suffering look. "Really? We're doing this again?"

"There's no reason for you to get involved in this."

"Alright, I guess we are." He began ticking off fingers. "I'm a faunus, the White Fang are all faunus, they're giving faunus a bad name, I'm also a Huntsman so this could be classified as part of my job, and- oh!" He held up a fifth finger. "That's right, I kind of owe Torchwick one. That means I got an extra reason to be involved!"

"And the reason you want to come along is…?" Weiss asked Neptune.

"Well, we _are_ partners."

"Say no more." Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "I have a dunce who keeps dragging me to places where I don't want to go."

"Hey!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Besides, from all that Sun told me, this sounds like a good way to check out Vale while having a bit of fun."

"We're not doing this for fun," Blake growled. "I'm going to be sneaking into a White Fang meeting. That's dangerous."

"Doing it alone has to be doubly dangerous then," Sun replied. "I can't help but notice that, before I came in, there was no other faunus in here other than you so I'm going to take a shot in the dark here and say that you were planning on doing that by yourself."

"This isn't going to be like the docks where we didn't know if they were going to be there or not. They _will_ be where I'm going and there's going to be a lot of them."

"Which is why Sun is going with you," Yang suddenly interrupted.

Both faunus spun their heads to Yang, one grinning in victory, the other in shock.

Sun's concerns were the same as Yang's. While Yang expected some hostility where she was going, it was nothing like what Blake was heading to with the White Fang _and_ Torchwick.

"Someone there could recognize you, Blake," Yang reasoned. "A few White Fang goons I'm not too worried about but if Torchwick happens to be there too and a fight breaks out…"

"I can handle it on my own," Blake insisted.

"Oh, I'm sure you can," Yang replied, forcing a confident smile. "But if you have some backup with you, I know you'll be more than okay. You two have done this before and, this way, we can make sure we get what we need and Sun gets his shot in at Torchwick."

"Have I said how I always liked you?" Sun asked.

Yang ignored him, attention fixed on Blake who was getting ready to argue. "Please, Blake. If I could come, you know I would. We said we weren't going to rush into this unprepared and this is the best way to make things as safe as possible with where you're going. I'm sure it'll make everyone feel better."

_Me in particular,_ she added and hoped that Blake could detect the worry behind her smile.

Whether she did or not, Blake turned to regard Sun, the critical look on her face giving away as she relented. "I guess you can come along then."

"Alright," Ruby said while Sun pumped his fist in victory. "I'll go with Weiss. Sun, you can go with Blake." Stepping over behind Neptune, she began pushing him towards Yang. "And Neptune, you can go with Yang since she doesn't have a partner. Everyone good?"

The wink that Neptune gave Weiss while passing her told Yang that there was going to be an objection made before the fencer suggested, "Actually Ruby, why don't you go with Yang? After all, she is your sister."

Ruby stared at her in confusion. "But, Weiss, who would go with you then?"

"Well…I guess Neptune could come with me," she offered, trying and failing to pass off the suggestion as nothing more than innocent.

Ruby stood there for a second longer before she snorted. "Ha, nah!"

How Weiss's face fell to give Ruby a dirty look was downright comical, made even more so when Ruby, entirely oblivious to the whole thing, grabbed the back of her peacoat and began dragging her out of the dorm room with Weiss uselessly shouting, "But! But!"

* * *

Being a girl who spent most of her childhood on the island of Patch, Ruby hadn't grown up around a lot of what was everyday life for the city residents of Vale. Her island home had been more modest, lacking the tall buildings that stretched as far as the eye could see and the excess holograms and other lighting that kept the city bright all night. The population wasn't as large or as diverse either. After a year or two of living there, one could feel as if they were familiar with everyone in Patch.

A lot of the islanders saw Vale with disfavor. Crowded to the point of claustrophobic to some, and those bright lights and holograms had been described as obnoxious when combined with the typical sounds of the active day and night life of a city. In Patch, portions of the land remained untouched by modernization, gifting those who settled there with peaceful walks through nature and star-filled skies that they could sleep under.

Ruby, on the other hand, would always be dazzled by Vale. When she had been a little girl, she enjoyed taking strolls on the beach whether hand-in-hand with Yang or perched atop the shoulders of their dad to watch the sun set and be replaced with a different light on the horizon in the form of the glowing kingdom. During nights like those, she would compare herself to some of those storybook heroes; born to simple beginnings but destiny and adventure was waiting for them over yonder. For Ruby, it had been the luminous city across the seas and the 'hero school' within that would train her to become a great defender of the world just like her parents and uncle.

When she was old enough, Taiyang began taking his daughters on family outings to the city and it had been like stepping into a whole new world. Up until that point, the greatest buildings that Ruby had seen were those that made up Signal Academy so what was a child supposed to experience when she found herself surrounded by ones that easily eclipsed it with all manner of individuals from all walks of life - humans, faunus, Vacuan, Atlesian, Mistralian, etc. - filling the cramped sidewalks while traffic crowded the streets?

Amazement. Wonder. From the harbors where immense ships were docked while air variants flew overhead, the highways that wove and twisted together high above, the wide selection of goods advertised at the commercial district, and even to the farms of the agricultural district that had evolved from outdoor fields to multi-level skyscrapers where crops and animals were carefully grown and cultivated to feed the immense population of Vale. Despite several more trips into the city, Ruby could never stop being amazed at what the city showed her next. It was simply too big and new ideas were always being implemented to give something fresh.

The same went for Beacon itself. She had studied, slept, ate, and lived within its grounds for several months now but it would take many more for her to cease being astounded by what she could find here.

For today, it was the enormous cylindrical building that was her and her partner's destination. Ruby was immediately overwhelmed - from the holographic standards that lined the base to the four buttresses that supported the tower that reached high into the clouds.

"Wooowww!" she couldn't help but squeal, ignoring how the back of her neck began to grow uncomfortable with how far she craned her head back to take in the full scope of the tower and yet still coming up short. "I forget how big the transmit tower looks up close!"

"You should see the one in Atlas," said Weiss, the girl walking more casually to the CCT but was faintly amused by Ruby's attitude.

The scythe-wielder was actually beginning to fall behind and she quickened her pace to catch up. "That was the first one, right?"

"Correct. Atlas developed the Cross Continental Transmit system to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War."

"Ooo, look at me," Ruby teased. "My name is Weiss. I know facts. I'm rich." She held her hands over her mouth in a vain attempt to suppress her giggles.

Weiss threw a glare over her shoulder. "Don't be a pest. Besides, the only reason we're here is because you like the tower so much. We could have just as easily made a call from the library."

"I know but it's so coool!" Ruby cooed, wishing Weiss was a bit more excited even if such sights were common for her. The young leader fished out her scroll to get a permanent memento of it. "I'm gonna take a picture!"

In her excitement, she pulled it out too fast and lost her grip on it. The scroll flew from her hand and bounced along the courtyard. It bumped into someone's feet, directing them to it as it came to a rest.

"Oh." They bent down and picked it up to hold it out towards Ruby. "You dropped this."

Ruby's eyes widened. She definitely recognized this person. "Penny!?"

The ginger-haired girl with her pink bow appeared equally startled. "Uh..."

"Where have you been?" Ruby asked, she and Weiss approaching her. "We haven't seen you since the night at the docks."

Penny didn't reply with her custom cheerfulness. Instead, she appeared a bit nervous as she looked between the two Huntresses before settling back onto Ruby. "S-sorry. I think you're confused." She suddenly hiccuped, the scroll jumping out of her grip, but Ruby managed to catch it. "Uh...I've got to go!" She quickly spun around and walked away.

"What was that about?" Weiss wondered.

"I don't know," Ruby replied, watching Penny leave. When they met in Vale, she had stuck like glue to Team RWBY, their leader in particular due to the innocent use of the word 'friend'. She had followed Ruby around during their last day of searching for Blake, asking all manner of questions that she could and enjoying her time with Ruby. _So why is she pretending that she doesn't know us?_

It was too weird. "But I'm going to find out." Shoving her scroll back into her pocket, Ruby went after Penny. "You go make your call. I'll meet up with you later!"

"Wait!" Weiss called but Ruby ignored her.

Penny was descending down some steps that would lead her out of the main CCT courtyard and let her disappear into the winding paths of the school grounds by the time Ruby caught up to her. Ruby jumped over a set and landed in her path. "Penny, where have you been? It's been weeks!"

Penny had stopped when Ruby got in front of her but, rather than address her, she looked off to the side as if she wasn't registering her presence. When she did face Ruby, her features were plain, green eyes staring through her rather than at her. "There seems to be a misunderstanding." She went back to walking, going down some more steps..

"What? Penny..." Ruby slid down the handrail in order to drop back in front of her again. "Is everything okay?"

But she continued to ignore her, staring and moving straight ahead without hesitation.

Now Ruby was worried and she grabbed Penny's arm. "Penny, please stop!"

It was at her touch that she stopped but it took her a second before she looked at Ruby again. When she did, her expression remained emotionless.

Ruby would have to settle with that. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but you have to listen to me. Those guys we fought at the docks, we think they're up to something big. Something bad. I need you to tell me what happened to you that night. Please, as a friend."

Penny visibly softened at that, her head lowering briefly. When she raised it, it was so that she could look around at their surroundings, searching for something. Whatever it was Ruby didn't know but then Penny drew closer, leaning close to Ruby so that she could whisper to her. "It isn't safe to talk here." After another look around she started walking again, leaving Ruby dumbfounded.

_I...what?_ Unsure if she should be following her, Ruby was about to get her attention until there came a beeping within her pocket. A quick search resulted in her pulling out her scroll that indicated an incoming message and the following look revealed it to be an address signed with Penny's name.

Ruby jerked her head up to relocate Penny only to see that the girl had disappeared into the crowds. She reread the message, wondering when Penny had the chance to send it to her.

_How did she do that?_

* * *

Although Weiss wasn't as awestruck as Ruby when it came to the Cross Continental Transmit tower, she had to admit that it was a very impressive and valuable piece of technology. Despite the development of airships and androids, reliable long-range communication was something that eluded the inhabitants of Remnant for some time.

They went through the typical process concerning the advancement of communications. There had been the hazardous and unreliable but only valid method involving messengers sent between villages either on foot or the back of an animal with the only proper mailing system being established with the birth of the first kingdom. With better technology came land lines to create a wired comm system and, later, transmit towers.

But that was all for short-range communication. No matter how advanced they became, human and faunus kind relied on the increasingly primitive method of using their air and sea-based trade routes to carry messages as well as goods between kingdoms. During that time, there wasn't a tower powerful enough to reach outside the continent it was based on but other alternatives were attempted. An underwater line was used to connect the ruling governments of the kingdoms for important discussions but to create a public system in that way was deemed inefficient to downright impossible. The idea of seeding the oceans and islands with a network of transmitters was scrapped for the same reason and the unpredictable nature of the Grimm was also a factor as they would've sought to destroy such creations as violently as their creators.

The inability to create such a system hurt everyone during the Great War. Armies and fleets would carry portable communication sets or rely on designated ships outfitted with the right equipment to receive and issue commands to their forces. The problem with those was that, if they were ever taken out, entire armadas and divisions would be cut off from their commanding officers. And considering how everyone knew of the importance of communications, anything that looked like a tool focused on it was a priority target.

This led to some of the worst of tragedies to occur. An order for a retreat that was too late or never came could lead to suicidal attacks or last stands that could've been avoided as well as the massive amount of lives that were lost in the process. Worse yet, scouts that couldn't contact the main host to warn them of an incoming horde of Grimm that were being attracted to the negativity of soldiers or the suffering of their wounded was the perfect opportunity for a slaughter and following feeding frenzy for those monsters. When the war did come to an end, there were many who didn't know until days, weeks, to as long as months later.

It was Atlas that had the resources, technology, and personnel to create the first CCT tower. Its position at Remnant's northern pole was the perfect place for its tower to be the center piece to the network that was eventually formed with the activation of the others. It was widely believed that the development of cross-continental communications was the true bridge that led to this golden age of peace where the kingdoms and their people were able to interact and strengthen their ties with each other to the point where, optimistically, they would be reluctant to go to war if that possibility was ever to arise again. It was with a generous measure of respect that Weiss strode into such a monument of unity.

The lobby itself was rather cavernous; a round, open room with a walkway wrapping around the platform in the center where a few terminals were located for students to act as guides to the services that were available to them at the CCT. For actual calls, students had to travel up to the communications room and Weiss took one of the branching paths of the walkway to one of the elevators. If she wanted to, she could stand still and feel the gentle thrumming of the underground generators beneath her feet but, instead, she settled with the fluorescent flooring between the walkway and the platform, their healthy green illumination signaling the adequate amount of power that was being drawn from them.

Its size alluded to the crude, brute force technique that the CCT tower employed. While the system's management and flow of communication and information exchange was exceedingly complex and wondrous, the existence of the system itself had come through a simplistic strategy. In order to overcome the line-of-sight propagation problems that came with a round planet like Remnant and a ground-based transmitter, the designers had settled on creating a tower that was big and powerful enough to stretch and link up with the others to establish the network. It sounded simple and, though she was no scientist, Weiss questioned why it took humanity this long to figure out how to solve a problem with an answer that was so obvious.

One possible explanation was what Weiss had once heard from one of her company's scientific advisors. It had been in passing during a family/business dinner - a big emphasis on business - but Weiss could recollect the hypothesis that the advisor had shared of some kind of interference that was being generated by Remnant itself which had thwarted them for so long. This interference, he suggested, could possibly have a connection to the phenomenon of the crystalline material found in Remnant's soil that possessed vast quantities of mystical and elemental power that could fuel spells or serve as a power source for all facets of technology.

He was referring to none other than Dust.

If Weiss remembered correctly, the theory was that humanity's mining and usage of Dust may have led to the weakening of the planet-wide interference to the point where they've finally managed to triumph over it and establish their treasured communications. It could potentially be a reason why Atlas - currently the biggest provider of Dust - needed to have the largest tower and why the others in the rest of the kingdoms were constructed with far less complications.

Whether that theory was proven valid or not, Weiss didn't know.

The elevator doors slid open at her approach and she didn't waste any time to enter. She was quietly relieved that there was no one else in here with her as the doors sealed shut. The elevator didn't move though, and a speaker off to the side crackled on.

"Hello!" came a static-tainted echo of a voice. "Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?"

"I'd like to go to the communications room, please." Though Weiss knew the voice belonged to one of the AI attendants here instead of an actual person, she kept her voice at the peak of politeness. She needed the practice.

"Absolutely. Could you please place your scroll on the terminal to verify your identity?"

Weiss dug out her scroll and held it up towards the scanner. As could be guessed, security was rather tight in the CCT and each tower was located near each individual kingdom's combat school to provide maximum security. While ordinary citizens could connect to the network from local terminals throughout the city, remote infiltration of the network itself whether to intercept messages or potentially sabotage the tower was impossible. If anyone wanted to do that, they would have to infiltrate the CCT directly and when it wasn't heavily monitored during the day, the whole building was closed off and secured at night.

"Perfect," the AI spoke after completing the scan. "Thank you, Miss Schnee."

The elevator shuddered and Weiss felt that unique sinking feeling in her stomach that typically came with a moving elevator. She felt a different sort of internal tension when she stared ahead and forced her lips to form into what she hoped was a pleasant smile with a delighted lifting of her brows.

_No._ It felt way too forced. She shook her head and tried again, closing her eyes entirely and the next smile she attempted she showed off a bit more teeth. _No._ She sighed and hung her head back in defeat.

She's been at Beacon for too long, having experienced too many real smiles to the point where she was forgetting how to fake one.

_Get it together,_ she ordered just as the elevator reached its destination.

The communications room was widely different from the lobby. It was still circular but you had wide windows that gave students a tranquil view of a bright blue sky and soft clouds while they made their calls on the many full-sized terminals that came accompanied with cushioned stools and dividers to offer a measure of comfort and privacy. There was a front desk that was empty until Weiss approached it and then there was a brief flickering that manifested into the proper, translucent hologram of young, uniformed woman with hair done up in a bun that was sitting and tapping at the console with the illusion that she had always been doing so before Weiss walked in. She looked up as if only noticing her presence for the first time and smiled.

"Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit Center." Her voice lacked the static but the echo of her words was more obvious. Weiss recognized it as the same one that greeted her on the elevator. "How may I help you?"

The avatar had probably been selected as the most appealing to visitors and she had been programmed to show as much courtesy as possible. To any normal person, her kind smile and polite words could distract them from her abnormal inflections and how one could look through her green-tinged form.

To Weiss, she was a fake but found that she was a suitable partner to practice with as she imitated a person well enough that the straightening of the heiress's spine and the polite smile that she copied from the hologram felt less forced. "I need to make a call to Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas."

"Absolutely." The hologram was already tapping at the console to fulfill her request; a trick as she wasn't physically doing so but the visible show was meant to make her seem real. "If you could head over to terminal three, I'll patch you through."

"Thank you." The bow of Weiss's head, likewise, felt a bit more genuine. She tried to keep what of the facade she built with the AI's help up but found it quickly becoming difficult when she made her way to her assigned terminal. Its location made it harder as Weiss had to pass several students, some who were speaking quite adamantly during their own calls.

"Hi mom!" one Beacon student greeted, waving happily at the image on her screen as Weiss was passing her. "How are things back at Signal?"

Weiss kept it up until she took a seat at the terminal and saw for herself the lie that was on her face within the inactive screen. Her posture lost its straightened back when her shoulders receded and her eyes drooped. That smile that was meant to be the foundation caved in along with it.

She wished...she wished Ruby was here. Any of her friends would've worked but it was her partner in particular that she yearned for at this moment. If she was just sitting right next to her or standing off to the side, close enough for that contagious good nature of hers to support her just enough to get through this...

On second thought, the idea of using Ruby to help her lie...no, it was probably better that Ruby wasn't here.

The terminal beeped and the jolt it gave Weiss was enough for her to straighten. The screen lit up.

"Thank you for calling the Atlas- oh! Miss Schnee! Good afternoon!"

The comms operator who picked up was one who Weiss recognized and was more familiar with than the other staff, mostly because of how whenever Weiss wanted to contact her father, she would more often than not be directed to the auburn-haired woman who would either transfer her over to her father or inform her that he was unavailable. It was enough for her smile to be less phony when she brought it back to the forefront and she focused on maintaining eye contact with the woman's crystal blue eyes if only to keep away from the snowflake logo of the SDC that spun behind her head.

"Would you like me to patch you through to your father?" she asked. "I think your sister Winter might be here as well."

The operator must've assumed that this was another such call and Weiss struggled to keep everything from collapsing right then and there. The mentioning of her father and Winter, however, was coming too close and Weiss shook her head in negative to hide the cracks that she knew were very visible. "No, thank you. I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me." When she held up her scroll, she had filled them back up. "I've compiled a short list."

She set the scroll on the provided slot to transfer the list and she watched as the operator looked to her own console to read it. "I see..." she uttered, a brow slowly lifting. "If you don't mind...what, may I ask, is this for?"

It was too much to hope that her request would be fulfilled without an inquiry even if she was her father's daughter. Though some of what Weiss had placed on her list was innocent enough and meant to act as a camouflage, she knew that what she really needed could lift some brows as this was clearly doing. Business politics was a game where information was power and it was heavily guarded. Stocks and negotiations can hinge on as little as a word spoken out of turn and today's media would be all over any scrap that fell to them in an instant and they would be sure to broadcast it to every corner of the world. What Weiss was asking for could fuel the biggest political fires that everyone wanted to start when it came to the SDC: their conflict with the faunus and the White Fang and how their business was suffering because of it.

But Weiss passed it off without even flinching. "School project."

"Um...there are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am."

"Well then, I'll be sure to treat them with care."

"Right..." The operator remained apprehensive and Weiss prayed that she wouldn't contact her father for permission. That concern was quickly lifted as she heard the telltale sounds of data being fed into her scroll followed by the operator's, "Very well. The data is being transferred to your scroll now."

"Wonderful," Weiss said, already retrieving her device as soon as it was done. "That will be all then."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?"

For just a moment, Weiss hesitated. The denial was there, ready to be spoken, but she hesitated. And in that moment she entertained a thought, one that she considered with how long it's been since they last spoke or even saw each other. When taking that into account, maybe...

Maybe it would be different this time.

"...Yes," she answered once she realized the folly of that delusion. "I'm sure."

"Well then, have a nice day." The the screen dimmed, the friendly face of the operator morphing back into that false reflection.

She didn't have a reason to keep it up anymore and Weiss slumped in her seat, feeling inexplicitly drained. She hung her head, closed her eyes, and for the next few minutes she just sat there, listening to the other students around her and how happy and honest they were. And, slowly, her hand came up, eventually closing around and bunching up a section of her peacoat that was located over her heart and, with it, the only thing that was true and honest about her.

The only thing that could give her any sort of comfort when the mere mentioning of her family did the opposite.

* * *

"So here we are again," Sun mentioned as they disembarked from the elevator and wandered into the skyport's terminal. "The two of us looking to tangle with the White Fang again, and this time we're going right into their territory to crash a meeting! You sure know how to show someone a good time in Vale."

"And I'm sorry about getting you involved in this again," Blake apologized.

"Hey, I was the one who wanted to come along just like last time. And if you kept saying no, I don't know how long I could've contained myself if a professor just happened to wander on by. Goodwitch seemed like the type who would've found this very interesting."

Blake stuck him with a glare. "You wouldn't have dared."

Sun shot up his hands in defense. "I was just kidding." He motioned behind them. "Though I have no control over Neptune. That guy is quite the blabber mouth. Can't trust him with anything."

"That was _one time_!" Neptune interjected.

Blake held her fierce expression for a little longer before it waned. More exasperated than angry, she asked, "I'm going to regret this decision, aren't I?"

Sun liked his jokes, preferring to always keep the mood light. It was how he was; always trying to relieve the tension and keep everyone optimistic for the missions that were to come. The more serious the mission, the more he tried. But he could recognize when he needed to be serious at times to show that he understood about what they were going up against.

Seeing this to be one of them, Sun said, "Hey, trust me. As much as I would like to tangle with Torchwick again, finding out what he's up to and putting a monkey wrench in it is what we're doing this for. And you've seen me fight. If anything goes wrong, I can handle my own long enough for us to get out of there."

It seemed to work, Blake digesting his words before nodding. "I remember and I trust your abilities, Sun. I just want to make sure that we get out of there all right."

"It'll be fine. We'll watch each other's backs."

There came another, shorter nod from Blake and Sun was relieved to see a corner of her mouth quirk up in a small grin. It lifted higher and she murmured, "Monkey wrench?"

"I've been waiting a while to use that one."

Sun could swear that he almost got a laugh out of that but Blake retained her cool. She had definitely changed from when they met and teamed up to investigate the White Fang previously. Colder and gloomier and not once had she smiled. Then again, that was when she thought her friends hated her and was planning to leave Vale. Reuniting and smoothing things over with them had done wonders. And, having gotten to know them as well, Sun could say that she had a pretty cool batch of friends.

Exiting the skyport and entering the lot, Sun surveyed the line of buses, each one meant to take them to a different part of the city. "Any ideas where we should go?"

"I have a couple ideas," Blake replied. "Other than having hideouts outside the kingdoms, when inside a lot of their meetings took place in the heavier industrial areas. Plenty of old abandoned warehouses that they could use for themselves."

"A little cliche, don't you think?"

"It works." Blake frowned grimly. "Besides, it's not exactly out of the ordinary, is it?"

Sun understood what she was referring to instantly: that role which faunus typically served in industry. "No, I suppose not."

Blake said nothing else on the subject, instead pointing to one bus at the end of the lot. "That one."

A hand caught Sun's arm, keeping him in place. "Save a spot for him, Blake; there's something I want to talk to him about."

Sun was not the only one who was confused, Blake looking at Yang curiously. "Something you don't want me to hear?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Yang assured, grinning impishly. "Just want to remind him to not try any funny business or anything. You know, that kind of thing that doesn't need both of us around to be embarrassed. It'll be quick, I promise."

Sun actually didn't know what Yang meant about 'funny business' and it being embarrassing and Blake didn't appear to be convinced by her explanation either. Nonetheless, the start of the mission held enough priority that Blake let it slide. "Don't take too long, then."

Sun happened to be watching Yang when Blake left so he saw the change. That grin of hers weakened, losing its strength, but it gained a quality that Sun couldn't put a word to describe it. Whatever it was, it remained present but it gave the blonde a far-off look even as it was clear that she was visually following Blake even when she stepped onto the bus. Her hold remained on Sun but she didn't seem to be aware of him.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Sun asked, bringing her back.

"Yeah," Yang spoke, all business again. "And this is going to be quick. I want you to look after her."

Sun cocked his head questionably. "Isn't that why you wanted me to go along?"

Yang wasn't amused, her brows lowering seriously. "I'll get right down to it. You were there when Blake ran away and you'll always have my thanks for that. When she ran into Torchwick and the White Fang last time, you were there to make sure that nothing would happen to her so you know how she might react."

"You mean if we do meet Torchwick again," Sun speculated, remembering all too well what happened the last time Blake ran into the criminal. Instead of the cool and collected Huntress he quickly came to know, she had broken out from their cover at the first sign of Torchwick in order to confront him. Sun had intervened when the battle broke out, taking on the White Fang and Torchwick himself, but then Blake had dropped between them.

_"He's mine!"_

He didn't like thinking about that roar, angry and violent, or how Blake had thrown herself at Roman to attack him so savagely.

"It's not just her seeing Torchwick again that I'm worried about," Yang explained. "Look...she told you about how she was once a part of the White Fang, right?"

Yeah, they were way into serious territory and Sun nodded soberly to convey it. "She did."

"It's been bothering her a lot lately - Roman and the White Fang. I want to believe that she'll be okay and that she's only pushing herself this far because she wants to protect everyone but I'm still worried. If you two do find and go to a meeting...just do me a favor and keep an eye on her. If there's any sign of trouble, I want you to take care of her."

"You can count on me," Sun promised.

"I hope so."

Sun held up his hand, pressing the other over the center of his chest, and his tail stood to attention. "I solemnly swear that I'll bring her back safe and sound. I've got honesty set on to the max here."

"Good." Yang patted him hard on the shoulder, her buoyant energy coming back to her. "And make sure you come back too. I want you at the table when I challenge Neptune to a rematch."

"Set the time and I'll be there." Throwing Yang a salute, Sun was about to go and board the bus but found himself stopping and looking back over to her. "You know, I'm really glad that I was there for her too since I got to meet you guys. She's got a real cool batch of friends."

"Yeah, well..." Yang stared at the bus. "She is my partner."

She adopted that look again, Sun feeling like he was being ignored as soon as he saw it. There came that slight curving of her lips, her eyes soft and...dreamy? He wasn't sure if that was the best way to describe it but it made him curious as he couldn't help but think that partners don't usually look at each other like that.

_Or at least Neptune doesn't look at me like that. Er, at least I'm pretty sure he doesn't. I know I don't look at him like that._ It led him to begin asking, "So is there, like, anything I should know about you two or-?"

But Yang was waving him towards the bus. "It's rude to keep a lady waiting, Sun."

Just like he knew when to be serious, he knew when to drop a subject when it was clearly the wise thing to do. Without further ado, Sun quickly boarded the bus, taking the seat that Blake saved next to her. When it began moving, he looked to the other faunus.

She was staring out the window towards Yang with that very same expression on her face.

* * *

Yang waited until the bus was out of sight and then rejoined Neptune, the boy having remained at a distance like she told him to before she approached Sun. "Alright Neptune, let's go."

"Point the way."

Yang did, pointing away from the line of buses.

Neptune blinked in confusion. "No bus?"

"Just follow me."

He did without complaint, Yang leading him across the street of the lot and towards a garage. There was a booth with an attendant at the gated entrance and when Yang held out her scroll to the scanner to confirm her identity, he retrieved a set of keys to hand to her.

"Oh, you have your own car," Neptune guessed, impressed. "That's cool."

Yang chose not to correct him and hid a smirk as they were let in. It was a small, private garage reserved to store the personal vehicles of the staff of Beacon or the few students who were lucky enough to acquire their own. She brushed past the line of cars and had to prevent herself from turning her nose up at them. Eventually she found her pride and joy and her heart leapt at the sleek, two-wheeled, black and yellow beauty that was just waiting for her to start breaking traffic laws once she mounted up.

"...That's not a car," Neptune said unhelpfully. When Yang retrieved the yellow helmet hanging from the handlebars and threw a leg over the seat, he then asked, "You got another one of those?"

"Nope." Yang clipped her helmet in place and stuck her keys in Bumblebee's ignition. "Better hold on tight."

* * *

Ruby spent her entire journey thinking about Penny and the last time she saw her. It had been at the docks, Ruby having rushed to the scene when she heard an explosion. Penny had been with her during then but Ruby told her to go get help before leaving her. Instead of doing that, Penny had followed her with Ruby having found out right before Roman shot her in that moment of inattentiveness.

What happened to Penny afterwards Ruby had only what her friends told her. Weiss had said that Penny had carried her to safety and delivered her to Weiss so that the heiress could treat her injuries and save her life. After that, she supposedly went to join the battle.

This was later confirmed by Sun who had some rather unbelievable tales concerning Penny. Controlling multiple swords at once to fight the White Fang and displaying an astonishing expertise for combat that included firing some kind of big energy beam that sliced a pair of Bullheads into little pieces. The last Ruby wouldn't have believed if not for Blake and Yang saying that they had also seen it.

As for what happened to Penny when all was said and done, even Sun couldn't tell them. When asked, he was actually surprised as she told him that she was going to check on Ruby and the others to make sure they were okay. Neither Blake, Yang, or Weiss saw her at all and there was no mentioning from the police who came to the scene involving her. It was like Penny had vanished into thin air.

And here Ruby was now: meeting up with Penny after bumping into her at Beacon of all places.

_She did say that she was here to fight in the tournament,_ Ruby thought and was a little disappointed in herself that that was about all she knew of Penny when she couldn't even recollect where the girl had come from. For having spent nearly the entire day with her, Ruby hadn't really learned anything about her - not that she was really given the chance. She had been focused on finding Blake and it was Penny who wanted to know everything about Ruby with question after question. Nevertheless, she had been nice and Ruby had been worried about her because, as far as she was concerned, they were friends.

So when Ruby located their meeting spot - a nondescript cafe that was less than an hour's walk away from the skyport -, she was relieved to see Penny waiting at the front. That relief waned when she saw Penny fidgeting on the sidewalk, looking left and right much like how she had done at Beacon as if she was worried about being found by someone. Ruby touched her shoulder upon reaching her, causing Penny to jerk around, scared, but the supportive smile that Ruby gave her quickly put her at ease. Although it was weaker, a smile tentatively came to her face.

Ruby decided not to ask her questions immediately and chose to walk with Penny with the idea of getting her to relax. She seemed successful, Penny sending her quizzical glances when she didn't ask anything and, after a while, chose to follow her example to enjoy what Ruby hoped she saw as a walk between friends. She was no longer as stiff and the arms that had been locked at her sides were swinging leisurely.

The success heartened Ruby, letting her enjoy their trek through the city. Like every time before, whether alone or with her friends, it was easy for Ruby to get lost in the vastness of Vale. Those same people who complained about every other aspect of the kingdom found it all to be overwhelming but for Ruby it was different. When she thought of how she may as well be a mere speck in such a grand place, trekking down one sidewalk out of hundreds that she shared with the dozens that were only a fraction of the millions that lived here, she didn't feel overwhelmed. She felt...safe and peaceful by seeing others at peace. Vale and the other kingdoms had become humanity's true safe havens from the evils of the world and it showed.

It made Ruby that much more determined to be a Huntress. A speck she may be but it was one with a high-impact sniper scythe that can make sure that whatever type of Grimm came across her path wouldn't be able to harm anyone. And since coming to Vale, there were a lot less Grimm that weren't going to be bothering people anymore thanks to the efforts of Ruby and her team. This wasn't mentioning their current mission of preventing a band of terrorists from doing something terrible to the city and its people.

"I am very relieved to see that you are well, Ruby," Penny finally said. "It seems you made a full recovery."

Ruby needed a second to realize that Penny was referring to the injury she took at the docks. "Oh, yeah, it was no sweat." She swung her left arm around in several circles to show that she could do so uninhibited. "It wasn't that bad."

Penny frowned. "But it was bad. I didn't have the time to perform a full check but judging by what I could see and the amount of blood you were losing, the impact had severely injured you. I couldn't accurately deduce if your Aura had mitigated the pressure wave that typically results from such a detonation from damaging any of your vital organs. I feared internal hemorrhaging."

Ruby couldn't help but stare at her, it being a first for her to hear such vocabulary from Penny. "Oh, uh...that bad?"

Penny nodded gravely. "Very. I was relieved when I saw Weiss nearby. You said that she was your partner and I hoped that she would be able to help you in ways that were unavailable to me. I'm happy to see that I wasn't wrong."

Ruby couldn't recollect what it had been like to be hurt that bad. She remembered a bright flash and agony but afterwards...exhaustion. A fight to remain awake, drifting in and out of consciousness. The pain was still there but she barely felt it. She had been numbed to it, not just because of the exhaustion but she had also felt...cold. She could piece together brief snippets - Yang's voice and her worry for Blake who she had found moments ago, Weiss holding her hand and the uncomfortable stinging sensation of the seal filling her chest and closing the wound - but if someone asked her what it was like she could only say that it was like being half-asleep: all her senses muddled, feeling unbelievably weak, and a desire to close her eyes and sleep to get her rest and block out the cold that had chilled her so.

Except in that instance, she wouldn't have ever woken up again.

"I'm sorry," Penny unexpectedly said when Ruby didn't say anything.

"For what?"

"It was my fault, wasn't it?" Her expression one of deep regret, Penny casted her gaze down, refusing to look at Ruby. "You told me to stay back and get help but I followed you. I thought I could be the one to help you but I got in your way, didn't I? If I did what you said, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. It was because of me that that happened to you and I wasn't able to do anything."

"That's not true!" At Penny's silent plea for an explanation, Ruby said, "You helped a lot! Sure, I got hurt, but it was because you were there that I got the help I needed. Sun and the others else told me what you did when you fought the White Fang. Because of you, everyone was able to make it out of there okay and you helped me get Blake and my team back together!"

When Penny continued to display doubt, Ruby rolled both of her arms in rapid circles and added a few hops. "See? I'm completely fine! And now I need your help again. When you were at the docks, did you see or notice anything that could tell us what the White Fang might be planning? Anything at all?"

Ruby had put everything that happened at the docks behind her. She could've died but she was alive and her friends had made it out okay which was more than enough for her. She'd much prefer to figure out what diabolical plans Torchwick and the rest were up to.

Fortunately, Penny took her words to heart, a weight being lifted off her shoulders. Unfortunately, she shook her head in negative. "I wish I could help you, Ruby, but I don't know anything about those men."

"Well what happened to you that night? Sun said you were coming to see us and then you just disappeared." A thought suddenly hit her. "Were you kidnapped?"

"Oh, no!" Penny quickly answered. "Nothing like that!"

"Well then where did you go?"

"I've never been to another kingdom before," Penny explained. "My father asked me not to venture out too far, but..."

_But then she met up with us when we were looking for Blake and tagged along,_ Ruby finished. _I hope she didn't get in trouble..._

Penny must've seen some visible sign of her trouble. "You have to understand, my father loves me very much. He just worries a lot."

"Believe me, I know the feeling." Ruby couldn't keep track of how many times her dad doted on his 'little rose bud'. Even when she told him about her acceptance to Beacon, the first thing he did was start worrying about how it was such a big step, how she might not be ready, that she should finish with Signal, what about all her friends, etc. etc... "But why not let us know you were okay?"

"I...was asked not to talk to you. Or Weiss. Or Blake. Or Yang. Anybody, really."

Ruby inwardly grimaced. "Was your dad that upset?"

"No, it wasn't my father…"

Ruby hadn't been keeping track of their progress so when she caught sight of a large crowd, it was to see that she and Penny had wandered into a plaza. It was a big open area where people could congregate and relax amidst the patches of trees and grass that had been grown, but the big stage in the center told of its main purpose to be used for presentations or the occasional show for entertainment. For today, it was the former.

Four Atlesian soldiers guarded the steps located on each side of the stage, standing tall in their armor and black fatigues, weapons holstered at their backs and sides as they barred anyone from entering. They had blue markings at their arms and helmets but Ruby wasn't familiar enough to know what rank they signified, if any. As for the stage itself, Ruby took an interest in the six figures that stood at attention.

Those weren't soldiers or even human. They were AK-130 androids and Ruby knew a lot more about them. They were the latest combat models developed by Atlas that had been put into service several years ago. While used in the military, the main purpose of the androids was to provide an unmanned security force for the other kingdoms or big companies that were willing to purchase them.

Ruby had eaten up everything she could involving them since their release. They were far from matching a Huntsman or Huntress but in enough numbers they could prove to be a challenge. The main model was designed for close quarters with a pair of retractable blades but they were supplemented by variants with rotary guns for ranged support. They would typically be stored at the walls of the kingdoms, ready to be deployed in the case of a pack of Grimm wandering too close, but as time went on they became known to be used in private ownership to perform their security role by defending valuable cargo.

These six were stationary with a container of some sort behind each group of three and, in front of them, a holoprojector had been placed in the center of the stage with the image of General Ironwood hovering above who addressed the large group of spectators that gathered. "The AK-130 has been a standard security model of Remnant for several years and they have done a fine job, wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?"

While the audience clapped to show their support, Ruby shifted where she and Penny had stopped to get a better look, her curiosity piqued. Anything that involved Atlas and their androids was more than enough to grab her attention. In reaction to the clapping, the six AKs stiffly bowed.

"But," Ironwood went on, being a mere hologram not keeping him from pacing along the stage as far as the projectors would allow him with a purposeful stride, "the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation! And 'fine'? Well that's just not good enough, is it?"

The doors of the containers, each one marked with the symbol of Atlas, slid up to unveil their contents and Ruby was enthralled. They were androids, matching the number of the 130s on stage but they were different. The 130s were slightly bulkier, even menacing in appearance, but these ones were slimmer and more humanoid with their white armor and black highlights that closely resembled the armored and uniformed Atlesian soldiers. Instead of any integrated armaments, Ruby could make out a rifle mounted on each of their backs.

Ironwood gestured to the new androids. "Presenting the Atlesian Knight-200!"

In unison, the six androids kicked the bowed 130s, the simple movement proving to be faster and smoother than the stiff bowing of their now defunct brethren. The 130s toppled over, leaving the 200s to be fully presented to the spectating crowds who renewed their clapping with a significant increase in volume.

"Smarter, sleeker, and, admittedly, a little less scary," the general listed off. The 200s having adopted a heroic pose with hands on their hips after overturning the 130s, they sought to prove their more human appearance with many of them flexing confidently. "These models will become active later this year - but they won't be alone!" Ironwood fully faced the crowd with arms folded tight behind his back. "Now, the Atlesian military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that undoubtedly require a human touch."

"Ruby..." Penny chose to speak uneasily but Ruby was hardly aware of it, riveted to see what would be presented next.

Ironwood smiled confidently. "So, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce: the Atlesian Paladin!"

His hologram vanished and what replaced him was no android. Towering over the assembled 200s was a machine of enormous size. Bipedal with the two legs supporting a wide body that had two arms bent and pointed ahead. To Ruby's disappointment, she couldn't see any notable weapons - the image must be solely meant for presentation with the weapons absent - but the thick center and the protrusion of what was an angular head she assumed was where the cockpit was if this was in fact a machine meant to have a pilot.

She was soon proven correct. While the Paladin slowly rotated, Ironwood was still speaking. "Now we couldn't have them here for you today, but these mechanized battle suits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdoms within the year!"

"Woah..." Ruby breathed out, this turning out to be another exciting day of Vale impressing her as she stared at the Paladin with awe. _So coooool._

She didn't notice how Penny wasn't as enthused and was backing nervously away from the presentation. "Ruby, maybe we should go somewhere else."

_Aw, but why?_ Pulling away from the awesome battle suit, Ruby was about to ask what was wrong until she saw Penny suddenly spin around and run. "Penny? Wait, where are you going!?" She looked back at the plaza, wondering what scared her off, and saw that one of the pairs of soldiers had broken away from the stage and were sprinting right towards them.

She wasn't going to wait and ask for an explanation. Not wasting a second, Ruby ran after Penny who disappeared into an alley and she could hear the running footsteps of the soldiers as they followed them, one of them shouting. Penny didn't so much as slow down which was enough to convince Ruby to keep running and keep her friend in her sight.

They burst out of the alley and back into streets to cross over into another. Shortly after Ruby did, she heard the sounds of tires screeching and a look over her shoulder showed her that one of the soldiers had nearly gotten run over, a car having come to a stop at the last moment. It was enough to distract him and his partner and Ruby tried to find a way to gain more distance between them.

A stilted platform with boxes stacked on top was up ahead. In one fluid motion, Ruby snatched Crescent Rose from her back, sliced through the supports, and returned it before the boxes came tumbling down to block the alleyway.

_That'll slow them down._ Long enough, she hoped, for her and Penny to lose them. Ruby jumped and ran along the wall, avoiding the dumpsters that she would've had to squeeze between and catching up with Penny. With a quick use of her Semblance, Ruby shot from one side of the alley and to the other, grabbing Penny in the process as they came to a branching path.

"This way!" She gathered her Aura around her with the focus being at her feet. When she pushed off the wall, she exploded forward, rose petals being left in her wake as she pushed her Semblance to rocket the two of them down the alley, all manner of debris being knocked over with the force that followed their passing.

She had never done this with two people and Penny was a lot heavier than she looked. Just before they reached the end, their momentum gave out and Ruby hastily let go of Penny while she continued forward. She hit the ground hard, bouncing and rolling enough to leave the alley and skid into the street where she came to a stop.

_Never doing that again,_ she groaned, holding a hand against her head which throbbed dully.

What happened next was a blur. There came the sudden honk of a horn, jolting Ruby back to her senses and her feet. She spun around, spotting the front bumper of a delivery truck and she knew that it was too close, coming in too fast for her to be able to dodge in time and the driver hitting the brakes had done so too late-

And that was when Penny pushed her out of the way.

For that second when she was pushed, all Ruby could do was hear the screeching of the tires that ended with a deafening crash and the horrible shrieking of twisted metal. For that second she assumed the worst: that Penny had taken the hit that was meant for her, that when she would stand and look to the scene, she would find her friend broken and bleeding in the middle of the street.

What she least expected was to see the truck slamming back down on all four wheels, having been lifted off of them and left hanging in the air for a brief moment before it roughly came down. As for Penny, she was standing in front of it, feet burrowed within the ruined concrete of the street that had been kicked up and sent flying everywhere. Her hands were pressed against the engine compartment which was bent and warped.

"...Penny?" Ruby whispered quietly, her eyes wide.

Penny was looking up at the driver through the windshield. "Are you okay?"

Ruby could barely see the driver - a familiar, elderly man - nodding while he visibly shook and some part of her mind registered that the delivery truck was the property of _Dust Till Dawn_ with the owner himself being behind the wheel. It paled in comparison to what Ruby understood had happened: Penny had stopped the truck with her _bare hands_.

She knew she was still staring in shock and when Penny's eyes met her own, that freckled face became fearful. Penny looked down at her hands before she quickly closed them and held them against her chest and both she and Ruby became aware that nearby pedestrians had become drawn to the accident and were steadily gathering around the site, already whispering to themselves. Penny looked at them, then to Ruby, and then she took off again, bumping into Ruby as she sought shelter within another alley.

The contact was enough to snap Ruby out of it. "Penny, come back!"

She didn't run as far this time. When Ruby caught up to her, it was to see Penny stuck at a crossroads, unsure of where to go next. Ruby shouted to get her attention. "Penny, please! What is going on? Why are you running? How did you do that?"

Penny shrunk away from Ruby, her expression one of panic. "I-I can't! Everything's fine- _hic_!" She hiccuped and then she curled up on herself, hugging herself tight and keeping her hands out of Ruby's view. "I don't...I don't want to talk about it- _hic_!"

There was no way that Ruby could let it go. Penny's disappearance, how weird she had been acting, the soldiers chasing her, and with what she had seen…no, something was really wrong! "Penny, if you can just tell me what's wrong, I can help you!"

Penny shook her head frantically. "No, no, no! You wouldn't understand!"

She was actually terrified. Well and truly terrified. To Ruby's surprise, she watched what had once been a happy and perky girl turn away from her, shaking as she clung tightly to herself, seemingly determined to keep her hands out of view.

The state of her friend got Ruby to control herself, lowering her voice to speak gently to her. "Let me try. You can trust me."

Penny stilled and dared to meet Ruby's concerned gaze. A war was fought within those green orbs as Penny internally deliberated with an issue that Ruby didn't know about but was frightening her. Penny all but leapt closer to Ruby, gazing and speaking to her with pure desperation. "You're my friend, right? You promise you're my friend?"

"I promise," Ruby replied, her voice still gentle.

Penny looked to her hands, closed and tight at her sides. "Ruby..." She lowered her chin, ginger locks dropping to hide her features, but she raised her hands, fingers relaxing to show her palms.

The skin had been torn from the accident but there was no blood. There were no bones, no veins, no sign of any organic material beneath them.

There was nothing but cold, hard metal; the alloy that made up the structure of her hands no different from that of the androids they had witnessed moments ago.

"I'm not a real girl," she revealed dejectedly.

Ruby stared at them for a long while and by the time she got control of her hanging jaw she could only articulate one word: "...Oh."


	4. Painting The Town

"Penny, I...I don't understand."

Penny smiled sadly, pulling her hands back in order to look at them. "Most girls were born, but I was made." She flexed her fingers with ease, showing that, other than the skin, she hadn't taken any kind of damage that would hamper such a simple motion. "I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura."

There was a measure of pride in that claim but it didn't last. When her fingers relaxed and she could better stare at the metal palms, her smile melted. Pride turned to shame as she closed them, hiding them, and she once again brought her hands near to her chest. "I'm not real."

Ruby reached towards Penny, keeping her movements slow so as not to startle her. She gently took her hands and was relieved when Penny didn't struggle. Translating it as permission, she drew her hands out and carefully pried her fingers open.

Ruby had seen this before. Alongside androids, there had been the development of prosthetics to replace limbs that may've been lost whether in battle, an accident, or otherwise. Common replacements duplicated the functions of their biological counterparts with a mechanical arm or leg able to work as well as the real thing - possibly better. With an integrated neural interface, they could receive electrical impulses from the brain and respond accordingly with some of the more advanced specimens able to increase the strength and speed of the patient.

Ruby's fingers brushed along the skin of Penny's, putting pressure here and there. Some kind of synthetic coating that adhered to the metal skeleton and was meant to mimic the appearance and feel of real skin as it did give slightly beneath her physical examinations. It was even warm to her touch. Between the prosthetic and the coating, it would be very difficult to identify a fake limb from a real one.

 _But to do this for a whole person?_ Ruby thought with amazement. She moved on to the exposed metal and noticed the difference immediately. Solid and sturdy, unnaturally smooth, and cool to the touch.

But there was a different kind of warmth; an energy that emanated from even these metal replicas that Ruby could not only feel but follow the source up Penny's arms and knew was coming from her center.

"Of course you are," Ruby declared, her hands enfolding Penny's and giving them a squeeze. She smiled to her assuredly. "You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts makes you any less real than me?"

Penny looked at their joined hands incredulously. "I don't...um." She then squinted at Ruby closely. "You're...taking this extraordinarily well."

"You're not like those things we saw back there." Ruby tapped a finger against Penny's chest, ignoring the sound of the hollow thumping and concentrating on what she could sense. "You've got a heart and a soul. I can feel it!"

No, Penny was nothing like those machines from before that had their faceless visors and could only imitate human actions through their programming. Their friendship had been recent but in the short time they've known each other, Ruby had seen genuine emotions from Penny that couldn't be programmed. Joy at having a friend, regret for having been unable to help, fear of her true nature being discovered, and shame for being different.

Another batch of such emotions played along Penny's face as she regarded Ruby to prove it. Confusion at Ruby's proclamation which became relief when she comprehended the honesty behind it. "Oh...oh, Ruby!" How she grabbed Ruby's shoulders and the beaming smile on her face conveyed her excitement and the hug she pulled her in spoke of her sincerest thanks. "You're the best friend anyone could have!"

The hug easily rivaled one of Yang's with Ruby's head nearly being crushed against Penny's chest. Enduring it, Ruby's muffled groans came out with, "I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower."

"Oh, he is very sweet!" Penny said, thankfully letting go with Ruby desperately gasping for air as soon as she was freed. "My father is the one that built me. I'm sure you would just love him!"

"Wow," Ruby commented once she recovered. "He built you all by himself?" _And I thought I was good when I built Crescent Rose._

"Well, almost. He had some help from Mr. Ironwood."

"The general?" Ruby immediately thought back to the plaza where he had been presenting. "Wait, is that why those soldiers were after you?"

"They like to protect me, too!"

"They don't think you can protect yourself?" Ruby asked with a disbelieving brow.

"They're not sure if I'm ready yet," Penny replied seriously. "One day, it will be my job to save the world. But I still have a lot to learn. That's why my father let me come to the Vytal Festival." She peered up at the sky. "I want to see what the rest of the world is like and test myself in the tournament."

Ruby tilted her head curiously. "Penny, what are you talking about? Save the world from what? We're in a time of peace."

Penny dropped her chin down in order to give Ruby a similar tilting of her head. "That's not what Mr. Ironwood said."

"Check down here!"

 _The soldiers!_ Ruby identified as she looked back down the alley.

Penny once again grabbed her shoulders. "You have to hide!"

"Gah!" Ruby cried out, suddenly finding herself being lifted off her feet and held over Penny's head. "Penny, what are you doing!?" She struggled, arms and legs flailing wildly. "You don't have to go with them, I can help you!"

Penny wasn't affected by Ruby's struggles, easily handling her and calmly walking over to an open dumpster. With a quick toss, Ruby fell into it, the lid slamming down over her before Penny lifted it back up in order to speak to her. "It's okay, Ruby; they're not bad people. I just don't want you to get in trouble. Just promise me you won't tell anyone about my secret. Okay?"

Ignoring the foul odor and how she was kneeling in something that was all sticky and gross, Ruby nodded. "I promise."

Giving her one last smile of thanks, Penny closed the lid back over Ruby, pitching the young leader in darkness. The action also closed off ventilation and Ruby gagged as the smell that had once been foul became smothering. She attempted to shift around as quietly as possible to get out of whatever she was kneeling in and was rewarded for her attempts with something else that squished beneath her and produced a smell that was even nastier and forced her to hold her breath.

Keeping an ear out for Penny, Ruby heard the soldiers finally arrive. "There she is!"

"Salutations, officers!"

A need to see what was going on and to breathe some fresh air convinced Ruby to carefully lift the lid of the dumpster enough to succeed in both pursuits. Outside, she could see Penny standing innocently in front of the two soldiers.

"Why were you running?" one of them asked. "And what happened to the other girl?"

"What girl?" Penny questioned in return. "I've been by myself all day- _hic_!" A hand flew to her mouth but the soldiers had been too busy searching around the alley - most likely looking for Ruby - that when they faced her, she reestablished her 'innocent' pose.

"You shouldn't cause such a scene."

"Are you okay?" the other asked.

Penny extended her hands. "Just a scratch."

While the second soldier knelt down, delicately taking her hands to examine them, the first sighed at seeing the damage. "Penny, your father isn't going to be happy about this. Please, just come with us."

"Yes, sir."

Ruby watched the scene with interest. The one looking at Penny's hands let them go once he was done and when he stood up he patted the top of her head, an action that Penny was pleased with. The other who appeared to have more authority touched her back, gently guiding her in the direction of where they came from which she followed without question. For being heavily armed and armored soldiers, they were demonstrating a protectiveness that Ruby knew all too well.

 _I guess she really will be fine,_ she decided when they left.

There came an unexpected squeaking beneath her, informing Ruby that she wasn't alone in the dumpster.

 _Oh, that's a RAAAAAAAAT!_ Ruby scrambled away, the lid falling back over the dumpster which started shaking chaotically in time with the panicked screams and squeaks coming from within.

* * *

It was dark by the time Yang made the hard turn into the final street, popping a wheelie in the process. She had to ride all across to the other side of the city, navigating through traffic and streets the whole while, so it had taken some time. She didn't mind as that meant that she could spend more time with her beloved motorcycle - her gift to mark her graduation from Signal and successful transfer into Beacon with her citing that if she was going to be spending a lot of time in a city, then she needed the perfect ride for it. And boy did she get it: a glossy yellow sport bike that came with all the bells and whistles like supercharger intakes at the sides of the engine compartment that expressed nothing but speed and power that earned it the name Bumblebee.

It was love at first sight and she took every opportunity she could to take it out for a night of vigorous fun that involved pushing the accelerator as far as it could go, leaning hard into curves to perform violent turns, and weaving through cars to instill envy into the drivers who _wished_ that they could be riding this roaring monster of a machine. Not necessarily on both wheels either as the vehicle bounced beneath Yang when the front returned to street-level. Pulling up to the curb, Yang hit the brakes harder than needed, getting one last exciting dose of adrenaline that came with the sudden deceleration before the ride finally came to an end when the engine clicked off.

She straightened in her seat and took off her helmet, letting her hair fall free with an accompanying shake of her head. Glancing over her shoulder at her passenger, she thrust a thumb to the nearby building. "Come on, my friend's right in here."

Yang got off but Neptune didn't follow right away, staring ahead in a daze with goggles askew and blue hair a windswept mess. "...Cool."

She had to admit, he held out better than she expected. When they mounted up she had immediately shot down any chance of him holding onto her for support. The rear of the motorcycle had plenty of other places for him to grip onto but the raised back and his height did not mix well in this case.

"And where exactly is 'here'?" he asked when he sufficiently recovered enough to get off and follow her, fixing both his goggles and hair.

The answer that Yang was given when she first asked about it was The Club. She didn't know if that was an official name or a moniker that people have taken up when referring to it due to its reputation but she had been assured that if there was anything she wanted, she could find it at The Club. The place prided itself with blood-pumping music and dazzling lights with the owner of the establishment - Hei Xiong - boasting that there wasn't a drink that his staff couldn't mix as they were always privy to the latest recipes and the liquor used to make them up. If one was looking for a good night on the town to unwind, they went to The Club.

With Neptune following behind her, Yang made her way to the building they stopped in front of. There was music blasting from within but she didn't expect it to be busy tonight; if she was right, the grand reopening of The Club was still a couple hours away at least and she made sure to get here fast enough to take advantage of the window of opportunity that would have it free of innocent civilians. A precaution that Yang was making sure to take for this visit.

A pair of guards stood in front of the large sliding doors that acted as the entrance, decked out in all black and red: black suits and pants, gloves, top hats, and red ties and shades. One of them saw Yang coming and reacted as she expected him to. Getting the attention of his buddy, he frantically pointed towards Yang. "It's her!"

They didn't seek to confront her - quite the opposite. The two made a hasty about-face, scrambling to the door with one shouting as he manually slid open the door and ducked inside, "Hurry, close the door! She's coming!"

Though Neptune fell back, stumped at the guards' fright, Yang continued walking confidently, eyeing the doors that had slid shut again. _Hm,_ she thought, noting the added thickness while Ember Celica activated. _They look pretty strong._

_Bang!_

_Shhhhhhh-_

The explosive flare flew and slammed against the doors, the detonation blasting them apart. Somewhere in the middle she thought she heard screams but paid them no mind. With her gauntlets shrinking back into bracelets, Yang strode on through, the smoke dissipating and being replaced by flashing lights while unobstructed music greeted and enhanced her entrance. Once inside, Yang stopped and closed her eyes before grinning widely and holding up her hands. "Guess who's back!"

The clicking of thumbed hammers and safeties with the clacking of pulled charging handles coincided with the music choosing that moment to start skipping. When Yang opened her eyes, it was to see over half a dozen guards with even more rifles and pistols - a couple had one in each hand - pointed right at her face. Like the reinforced doors, this was an upgrade over the axes and swords that they wielded so ineffectively last time.

 _A few more guns aren't going to save them._ Yang lowered her hands and balled them into fists at her sides while her eyes narrowed threateningly. Apparently another lesson was going to need to be administered here.

Off to the side and higher up, a DJ wearing a large bear mask poked his head out from his hiding spot behind his record table. Perceiving the needle bouncing on the record as an annoyance, he lifted the tonearm up and promptly dropped back down to take shelter.

"So..." The entire line of guards tensed when Neptune appeared at Yang's shoulder. "Yeah, so could you define 'friend' for me?"

"Stop stop! Nobody shoot!" The centermost henchmen were pushed off to the side in order for the owner to get through. Bigger and burlier than his men with a barreled chest, his clothes were nearly similar save for the fact that he was wearing a black vest over a white dress shirt. He fixed his red tie uncertainly as he addressed Yang. "Blondie, you're here!"

With his close-cropped black hair, heavy brows, and thick beard and moustache, Hei Xiong - aka Junior - had some similarities to a big black bear himself right down to the growl that tinged his voice. It didn't prevent him from being intimidated by Yang as he questioned hesitantly, "...Why?"

All pleasant again, Yang casually pointed to him. "You still owe me a drink."  
  


* * *

 

Neptune watched with disbelief as Yang strode up to the guards and who was clearly their boss. Ignoring how all of them were heavily armed and that the orders of their boss to not shoot didn't mean they couldn't keep their weapons out, she slipped her arms around one of the latter's and tugged him along, the big man stumbling awkwardly to keep up.

"Woah," he breathed, impressed. "What a woman."

That was when he became aware of two girls who stood nearby and were staring at him warily, unsure if to treat him as a threat. One was dressed in white and had sharpened blades at her heels while the other wore red with metal claws extending from each wrist. Both were dolled up with excessive makeup and their long hair were cut and styled differently but their faces were identical.

Registering that he was in the presence of two pretty twins, Neptune straightened and nodded coolly to them "'Sup?"

As one, the twins turned their noses up disdainfully and strutted away. "Whatever."

Swing and a miss.  
  


* * *

 

One went to The Club to have a good time with the services it provided. As for needing something more specific and illegal, Junior was the name to use when referring to Mr. Xiong.

Yang didn't know how deep Junior's criminal ties were but she knew that they were enough to make him a very successful information broker. He could get people guns, loan out a few of his hired muscle, and deliver on any other illegal contraband that was asked for. When taken into account of how The Club was not only a haven for those who wanted to escape the monotony of their everyday lives but also served as a common meeting spot for shady dealings, it gave Junior connections and insight into all there was to know about what went on in Vale and who the top players were.

Days before Yang was to begin her next phase of education by going to Beacon, she had visited Junior to pursue a potential lead. Long story short, she didn't get the information she wanted and the impression she left on Junior, his men, his twin bodyguards, and the entire club had not been a very good one.

 _But they all seemed to have bounced back well enough,_ Yang mused, taking the opportunity to check out the renovations that were needed after her visit. She had seen from the outside that all the windows had been replaced and the gun-toting henchmen and reinforced doors spoke of improvements that were made.

The interior had been successfully restored. The various craters that previously dotted the dance floor were no longer present and the separate rings of flashing lights and lasers had all been replaced and circled near the ceiling. The glass pillars that were arrayed along the dance floor and would reflect the lighting in an attempt to blind dancers were all there. Yang was pretty sure not one of them had remained standing by the end of the fight.

The thin, red-leafed trees, reminiscent of those found in Forever Fall, were neither real nor synthetic. They were more sophisticated holograms, projectors hidden within the floor and, at the peak of activity, they would flash different, but no less bright, colors. While crossing the dance floor on her way to the bar, a visual representation of a leafy rain was being conducted by those same projectors to give off a festive feel. As far as clubs went, Yang had to admit that this was one of the best ones she's ever visited.

 _Maybe I'll actually come back during a weekend for actual dancing instead of fighting. I doubt this matches Blake's tastes but, who knows, she might enjoy herself._ Though they've been together for weeks now, they hadn't really gone on an official date.

She let go of Junior when they made it to the bar and he didn't bother to hide his haste to get away from her and put some form of an obstacle between them in the form of the counter. Yang waited patiently at her side, standing with arms crossed. She didn't requisition any of the nearby stools, planning on getting what she needed and leaving in short order to meet up with the others.

Junior was going through the shelves of assorted beverages and Yang wondered if he really did remember the drink that she didn't get the chance to enjoy. Seeing their boss playing host got the henchmen to go about their business although many were still giving Yang looks - a mix of nervous 'when-is-she-gonna-snap' and angry 'put-a-bullet-in-her-now'. She ignored them.

"You know, I was hoping that I wouldn't see you again," Junior dared to say, setting a glass down on the counter in front of her. "I figured that you would've thought that you did enough after your last visit."

"I like to come back to places I visited at least once. You could call me a _Yangarang._ "

Junior stopped from pouring a healthy measure of whatever it was in the bottle that he held over the glass to give her a confused glance. "Why would I do that?"

Yang hung her head. Friends, family, and now criminals. Not one shred of respect for a good pun from any of them.

"So what do you want?" Junior asked, pouring a clear liquid that was heavy with a scent of alcohol and a trace of raspberries.

"Information, and I hope you can deliver."

"That depends. What are you asking about?"

"Who," Yang corrected. "I want to know everything you know about what Roman Torchwick has been up to, particularly anything that has to do with his recent dealings with the White Fang."

If Junior was surprised in any way, he didn't let any of it show as he continued mixing, adding some fruit juices that gave the drink a pink coloring. "What makes you think I have any clue as to what he's doing with those freaks?"

Yang lowered her brows to give him the same threatening look that she gave to his men. "Don't play dumb. I know that you had some kind of deal going on with him before. It was your men that helped him in the robbery of the Dust shop that occurred only a couple days after I visited you. A robbery, I may add, that involved my sister." She purposely brushed aside a lock of her hair, holding out her wrist and the bracelet wrapped around it longer than necessary and was satisfied when it drew Junior's attention.

"You know, there's a custom that people tend to follow: when they want a service, they usually pay for it." By then Junior was finished and pushed the glass - filled, no ice, with a strawberry stuck on the lip and topped with a mini umbrella - across the counter to Yang.

Yang pushed it back. "There's my payment, then. The drink you owed me for everything you know about Torchwick. Besides, the place needed a little redecorating and I think it carries a bit more character now, don't you think? In my opinion, I've been quite generous considering you didn't give me what I wanted for it." After some consideration, she plucked off the strawberry and ate it.

Junior curled his lip, expression sour, but directing it at the drink didn't do him any good. Dropping down on a stool, he flicked the umbrella away before taking the glass and downing the whole thing with a few deep gulps, slamming it down on the counter when it was empty. Then, with fingers of his other hand rubbing against his temples, he said, "I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

"I haven't talked to him! I haven't even seen him since the night you first came in here. He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever came back."

Neptune suddenly appeared at Yang's side, smacking his palm on the bar top to appear intimidating. "So where did they go?"

Junior slowly turned to Neptune, staring at him quietly for a few seconds. "What kind of stupid question is that? _They never came back_." He switched back on Yang. "Who is this guy? _"_

"Don't worry about him," Yang replied, a light but annoyed slap with the back of her hand quieting Neptune. Having the guy who was supposed to know everything coming up short not once but twice had her eyes burning up at him with growing frustration. "Worry about _me_ if I don't find out what I want."

"I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys and I guess he wasn't happy with them. Which is something I can relate to!"

The last part he shouted to his henchmen who took a break from what they were doing to give him helpless shrugs.

Yang silently cursed at coming up empty handed again but knew that starting another brawl was pointless. It might make her feel better but it wasn't going to get her any closer to finding out what Torchwick was up to. Deciding to believe that Junior didn't know anything useful, Yang stepped away from the bar. "Come on, Neptune."

"Did we get everything we need?" he asked, following her out.

"Well, we got everything we can." _Which is nothing._ "Hopefully the rest of the team is having better luck."

"Blondie!"

"Hold on, Nep."

Junior was waving Yang back. Suspicious but hopeful, Yang left Neptune in the middle of the dance floor and disgruntled guards to return to the counter. "Something jog your memory?"

"Not quite." He gestured to a nearby barstool and, though she was still suspicious, Yang complied in taking a seat. "I had come across something of interest recently."

"Anything that concerns my interests?"

"It might."

"And you're just going to tell me what it is? Wasn't it you preaching about paying for a service?"

Junior shrugged. "Call it a matter of pride. You've come to me twice with questions that I couldn't answer so consider this one a freebie." He picked up the empty glass and began cleaning it with a rag. "Besides, as I said, this might not turn out to be of any use to you at all. Interested?"

As much as Yang doubted him to have any worthwhile amount of pride, she was interested. _Besides, no one says no to free._ That and the chance to possibly get something out of this trip was more than enough to convince her. She produced a yellow Lien chip from her pocket and placed it on the counter, sliding it over to Junior who took it as soon as her hand left it. Another Strawberry Sunrise was quickly fixed and passed to her with Yang taking a sip this time, appreciating the fruity taste while she licked a bit off her upper lip - cool but not particularly cold which suited her tastes.

"I will say this," Junior began while Yang took another sip. "Ever since Torchwick and the Fang began doing whatever it is they're doing, there's been a lot going on. We're not talking about the recent string of robberies and an increase in Dust prices either. Boats coming in with unregistered cargo that vanish as soon as they hit the docks, air traffic controllers picking up unusual signatures that disappear before they can be identified, and other small things like that. This goes double for people. My men weren't the last to go missing and recently I've suspected that they weren't the first. There's faces that no one has seen in a while and it's not just random goons hired off the streets; a couple with a lot of pull have either walked off the face of Remnant or..."

Junior extended a thumb and index finger, pressing the tip of one against his temple while the other made a cocking motion. "Except not all of them went out as quick or as pretty, going by what was left of them."

Hearing that had Yang rethinking about her previous assumptions of the extra armor and firepower that she witnessed upon entering. _Maybe all that wasn't just for me after all._ "And none of this has been reported?"

"I'm sure it's made a couple headlines but who's going to care? Other than everyone worrying more about the Vytal Festival, as far as even the police are concerned, it's the fault of some bad blood or minor power struggles. They aren't going to get involved in that if they don't have to, not when they have other things to worry about."

"No, I suppose not," Yang deadpanned, an image of two incompetent detectives with their heavy downtown accents and careless gun-waving coming to mind. She chomped on her strawberry a tad forcibly.

"Anyway," Junior went on, "other than the disappearance of old faces, there's some new ones that people are whispering about, though I use the term loosely on this specific one as no one has ever seen it. Not with the mask."

"White Fang?" Yang immediately guessed.

"If she is, she has to be someone of some renown with a mask like that."

Yang blinked. "She?"

Junior grinned wryly. "That's the only thing that's been confirmed with any confidence which figures. No one can get more than a glance but that's apparently enough for them to be sure about that."

"You mentioned a mask."

"Right, right. Real creepy stuff. Some kind of skull mask shaped like a raven, and they say her hair is all feathers."

"She's a faunus, then?" Yang had seen some examples of avian faunus that possessed such, ranging from along their arms to head crests with rare breeds that were supposedly capable of growing wings. How well they functioned when compared to those of real birds she had no idea.

"See, that's where you get a bunch of hearsay cluttering up the matter. Some say faunus, some say human, some say something...else." Junior pointed to his eyes with four fingers. "Word is is that she has four eyes of soulless red and carries a sword that can cut into the Rasatal itself, allowing her to travel between our realm and that of the Grimm."

Yang scoffed and took another sip, her glass half full when it settled back down. The Rasatal was one name out of several and it wasn't the only fictional plane of existence that those that favored superstition preferred to explain how the Grimm remained so dominant on Remnant with nearly limitless numbers. "Sounds like someone's heard too many Grimmdark stories."

As the name suggested, they were a particularly dark category of stories. Much like how it was once believed that the Grimm were malevolent spirits that corrupted whatever animal life they took possession of, it didn't take much of a leap for humans to be included in that regard. In particular, the warrior embodiment of light: Huntsmen and Huntresses. Whether overwhelmed by despair or seeking to make pacts with the beasts to gain power, a Hunter would become corrupted, their bodies twisted and warped to take on characteristics of the monsters while their minds became lost to madness. What was once a great defender of mankind became an abomination that sought its extinction. The rare few tales ended with redemption, the Hunter able to be brought back to the light and the corruption lifted, but a greater number of them ended with those who had fallen slaying and feasting on who had once been their comrades and loved ones, paving the way for an apocalyptic end to all life on Remnant.

Suffice to say, those were stories that Yang made sure to never read to Ruby when they were kids.

"I've been at this business for a long time and I can tell you this: every story and rumor holds some measure of truth. The trick is to sort it out, polish it, and sell it to those who can't." Smug, Junior then asked, "Maybe not Grimmdark but she could be one who follows certain questionable practices that a few of you Hunters have followed."

Yang frowned, knowing what Junior was implying. The Grimmdark stories were rooted to some grain of truth. Grimm having been seen as evil spirits were only one theory from a more primitive culture. For another, it involved the dubious tendency of the Grimm to dissolve upon death, leaving no physical traces behind.

Someone got the bright idea that the reason that the Grimm did so was because the only thing that could terrify them was the sight of their own dead. This led to a disturbing practice where warriors of the day, in an effort to scare the Grimm from what territories they had or fulfill a need to carry their own trophies, would use animal bones, feathers, or furs that were shaped, dyed, and fitted to imitate their bone armor and black bodies. According to some historians, in a more macabre fashion, warriors would go as far as to wear the bones of kin that had been killed by the beasts into battle.

That practice had fallen out of favor since then due to the rather obvious shortcomings. For one, such costumes did little to deter the Grimm from performing what seemed to be their sole goal of slaughtering human and faunus kind. For another, it was during one of the few insightful lessons of their Grimm Studies class that Professor Port - the man who adorned his classroom with fake Grimm heads - had expressed his disfavor of it.

"If a village that has been besieged by the creatures of Grimm was to call for aid, only to see their rescuers in an appearance that mimics their menacing adversaries, it defeats the point of helping, doesn't it?" he had lectured. "You are all to become Hunters: defenders of the world, of the people, and of the peace. You are to carry yourselves high with honor where those who need it most can look upon you with the assurance of relief and protection. The Grimm are your prey. Respect what they are capable of so as not to be taken off guard but never seek to use their methods for your own use for to do so is foolhardy and goes against everything that we uphold. Fear never weakens them; it always strengthens them."

Nonetheless, there were the rare few who partook in the practice even to this day. Other than the White Fang – Blake had mentioned why her comrades wore the masks -, there were Hunters who became obsessed with the extermination of the Grimm. They almost always took search and destroy or scouting missions that would send them far away from the kingdoms and it wasn't uncommon for them to go further or stay out longer than the mission parameters laid out to satisfy their desire to kill as many Grimm as they could. It was a good way for those Hunters to go missing and never return.

"What has she been doing?" Yang asked. If this person was such a Huntress, it was odd to hear them spending so much time in a city which could explain the attention.

"No one knows. The sightings are sporadic and brief but enough to get people spooked and looking over their shoulders when combined with everything else going on. Those who claimed to have seen her would do so for one moment and then she's gone the next. The common belief is that she's hunting for someone, and some of the disappearances could be her having found who she wanted for the night."

"What do you think?"

"Doesn't match up to me." Junior stroked his beard while he pondered over it. "She's an oddity. You have major players doing some serious planning and now this latest entry springing up? She's someone that wants to be noticed. By who and why, I haven't got the faintest clue."

"And you thought this might be of interest to me?"

"I don't know. Is it?"

Yang fixed Junior with a pointed stare but he wasn't as affected by it, grinning easily and turning his hand up to show that he had nothing else. When it came to a fight, Yang had proven that she outclassed him by a wide margin but this was a different kind of environment where Junior's weapon of information was being wielded much more effectively than his bazooka-bat. Like with Neptune and their game of cards and a board, Yang couldn't help but feel like she was being played again. Was this really harmless information, shared only because of a potential link to Hunters, or was there some other reason that Junior chose to unveil it?

She had been absently swirling the remains of her drink the whole while until she decided to finally knock the rest of it back. Setting it roughly on the counter, she shot it across hard but Junior's hand was there to grab it as if anticipating the move before it could fall over the edge. He began cleaning it while Yang slid her stool back in order to depart from the bar.

Having learned from his previous lesson, Neptune hadn't moved from where Yang left him on the dance floor. Only when she walked by him did he fall in line. "Better luck this time?"

"Maybe," Yang replied absently, lost in thought.

The music had restarted shortly after Yang had begun talking to Junior but the beat wasn't doing it for her. The overhead lights continued flashing with bursts of color but it was the red laser lights crisscrossing around her that caught Yang's attention along with the falling red leaves. She attempted to catch one that happened to be close but she knew what would occur before it went right through her hand.

 _Mask shaped like a raven,_ she went over. _Hair like feathers._ The center of her palm became a fixed point for her and though she hadn't caught the leaf, its image was stuck in her mind. _Red eyes._

_Like the three burning pairs of red eyes that had stared at her so menacingly before the Beowolves lunged out from the depths of the worn, decrepit building to fall upon this latest prey that had so stupidly stumbled into the vicinity of their lair. As one they leaped, fangs and claws on display to show just how she was to be killed - and as one, they died._

_The clacking of gears was followed by the fully-extended scythe blade that passed through two of the beasts, slaying them instantly. The severed body parts fell at the feet of the caped figure who spun to cleave through the third Beowolf. The fabric had flowed with his movements, obscuring his form, and it was only with the monsters dead did it get a chance to settle down, unveiling the head topped with a mess of stiff and scraggly hair that was swept back._

_Like a crest of feathers._

Whether this unknown person had meant to attract Yang's attention or not, she was doing so now.

* * *

"This has to be it," Blake said with certainty.

"You sure?" Sun questioned.

It hadn't been a month but here the two faunus were again: staking out within Vale's industrial district. They were deeper within this time around, putting themselves at a distance from the docks where they had first overseen the White Fang's actions against the kingdom of Vale, but the number of warehouses that they viewed from their vantage point on top of the tallest ones were the same.

"It's the best location," Blake explained. "It's close but not too close to the docks so it gives them a place to store whatever Dust they make off with. Go in, grab what they need, and turn in before police even have a chance to arrive at the scene if a call or alarm is sounded."

"Isn't it a bit risky to stay in the city though? After what happened and everyone knowing that the White Fang are going around stealing Dust, the police have to be investigating them. Why not have, you know, a secret base or something outside the kingdom? Aren't there a lot of faunus that live like that?"

Blake shook her head in negative. "The White Fang have outposts in the wilderness but for extensive activities within a kingdom like what we have here, you need a couple hideouts within the walls. In the beginning, they didn't have the resources or numbers to stretch them so thin anyway. There's the police and Huntsmen to worry about but it gives members someplace they can come back to after they lose any pursuit like that. Even if they limit their operations to night, there's always the chance of getting spotted and, with Atlas's airships here, there's the risk of heavy aerial patrols. If an airship was caught with a hold full of Dust or members, it wouldn't stand a chance of making it to the walls. A lot of warehouses can spare enough room for a Bullhead or two."

Sun quietly mulled it over. "Kind of like all the smugglers we have in Mistral. Use unregistered warehouses or ones bought under a different name to keep their contraband at a distance so none of it can be pinned on them. Once a deal is made, they use their aides to go ahead and move it."

Considering who she was talking to, Blake wasn't surprised that Sun would know that. Between its distance with the other kingdoms, having the lowest of industrial power, and possessing the smallest of territories, Mistral depended the most on trade to survive. As a consequence, there had been a steep taxation on goods in the past which led to the rise and popularity of smuggling. Though the ruling body of Mistral had publicly denied supporting the smuggler outfits that had been established and were partially credited for allowing the kingdom to survive through the Great War, they haven't exactly denounced them either.

"In the case of the Fang, they also provide a place to gather." Blake's gaze on the assortment of warehouses became unfocused. "To plan. Recuperate and prepare for another day. A rallying point for other like-minded faunus. A place like this that's inconspicuous and ignored by the rest of society."

A place like the number of sanctuaries that the group had used when it was once a peace organization. Blake could remember it and it pained her each time that it did. It wasn't the deplorable conditions of them though. They could be small and quickly crowded with the amount of members that would take shelter there. Condemned, abandoned, or a dwelling provided by a faunus who offered what their second-class citizenship gave them which wasn't much but...enough.

That was what hurt each time. Blake didn't think about the crowded rooms, the thick layers of dust, the creaky floorboards, and the lack of illumination and running water that came with the worst of examples. Instead, she thought about her comrades that made the best of the circumstances. The spirited meetings under candlelight, eating what they brought and shared or what supporters had donated to them, and the nights when a smaller and more optimistic Blake could tuck beneath the arm or against the side of another to gain warmth and support for the night. Overcoming even such simple discomforts together developed a sense that they could do the same with anything. A product of deception as it turned out.

"How long do you think it'll be before we find any sign of them?" Sun asked.

Blake checked the time displayed on her scroll. "Not long. The sun had set an hour ago so at the very least I would expect that we'll at least be seeing movement from new recruits if the majority of the veterans had decided to meet up earlier in preparation."

"You think there's time for a quick snack run?"

There came a dull _thump_ from Blake hitting her head against the roof of their chosen warehouse.

"Hey, this was all kind of sudden!" Sun attempted to defend himself. "I didn't get the chance to eat dinner or anything before I came to your dorm."

Blake removed her forehead to reveal a mask of frustration that she directed at him. "And whose fault is that?"

"I'm just saying that if I knew that we were going to be waiting on a rooftop again, I would've prepared for it."

Blake resumed facing forward. "By all means, leave and go find something if you want."

"Yeah, see, I have this funny feeling that if I were to do that and you spotted something while I was gone, you would be inclined to maybe...oh, I don't know...go on ahead without me?"

"Your loss."

The silence didn't last a minute before Sun shifted restlessly and Blake could pick up the rumbling complaints of an empty stomach. The cat faunus couldn't help but smirk at his discomfort. As annoying as he could be sometimes, she had to admit that he had a knack for lightening up the mood.

It didn't reach two minutes before Sun decided to bring up a problematic possibility. "For curiosity's sake, what if they don't decide to meet tonight? Or we picked the wrong place? How long should we stay out here before we call it quits?"

Blake really didn't want to think about it but she knew that it was possible that there may not be a meeting whether tonight or at this location. She was reasonably confident that she spent enough time with the White Fang to be able to pinpoint their most likely meeting spots but she had no control over the when. Her team's decision to investigate was at random, made on the spot, and there was no guarantee that they had done so on one of the Fang's off nights. They could be limiting their movements and avoiding gatherings in response to recent events.

"We'll stay as long as we have to," she eventually answered. "If we don't find them this night, we come back during another and try again if the others haven't found anything. This could be the best and only way to find out what's going on. Lives and the very kingdom may be at stake, Sun."

The conviction and the reminder of what they had to lose if they failed was enough to quiet Sun for a little while as he didn't retort right away. "I guess I should be happy that you said 'we'."

Blake checked her scroll again, frowning at the time. At this point, the others had to have finished up by now or were wrapping things up. Weiss and Ruby should be on a flight to Vale and though she didn't know how long it would take Yang to get what information she could from her contact, Blake assumed she would be done by the time they were ready to meet.

 _Should I just wait for another hour or until they call me and Sun?_ Almost as soon as she thought it, Blake suddenly perked her head up. "Sun."

He was already picking himself up to move. "I saw them."

It had been at the west side, she and Sun having kept the main street in sight with the belief that some of the arrivals would come through that way in order to enter the complex. Two of them did, crossing the street and disappearing into the maze-like pathways between the warehouses. Blake and Sun jumped down from their roof and made their way to where they saw them go.

"This one." With a ten percent room for error with her ninety percent certainty, Blake chose the alley she guessed was the one they went down, eyes and ears open.

The people they saw were nowhere in sight. Trying to convince herself that they needed to catch up rather than believe that she had chosen wrong, Blake persisted down the path until they came to where it intersected with three others. She and Sun looked down each one and it was the monkey faunus who pointed out the obvious. "I don't see them."

But they were around here and Blake was positive that they could lead them to what they wanted. She wasn't sure if Sun picked out the details - being a cat faunus, her night vision was better than his -, but she had seen that the ones they spotted were casually dressed and didn't look like they belonged. It was what was at the top of their heads that Blake spotted that convinced her that they were on the right track: pure white horns.

She was about to suggest that she and Sun split up and each take a path, sure that one of them would pick the right one, but that was when she spotted the marks on the wall over Sun's shoulder. Giving him a small push to the side, Blake approached the wall and examined the marks. Chalk-white, but with the darkness it would be difficult for anyone to see it unless they had the proper vision to more easily detect them. Three narrow lines, appearing like nothing more than tally marks except they were drawn with an obvious tilt that had them running diagonally instead of straight.

It was at the mouth of the alleyway to their left that they were drawn and Blake made her choice. "This way."

"You sure?" He didn't get an answer but Sun was already following her.

They came to another intersection and a quick scan awarded Blake with another set of tally marks, signaling another turn. They had yet to catch up to the two horned faunus but it didn't deter Blake, taking a couple more turns with the guidance of two more marks. They stumbled upon one last mark when their path branched off again but they probably didn't need it; there was a light that was coming from that direction.

Blake slowed down, quieting her steps as they approached the bend. Sun hung back, noticing the difference in her pace.

Before looking down the alley, Blake focused back on the three tally marks, her suspicions confirmed by their journey through the labyrinth. The tilt of the marks were simple but familiar and, donating a few seconds to examine them, she could make out the subtle thickening in the middle of the individual lines. With fingers pressed at the top, Blake bent them to better imitate a clawing motion as she dragged them down the marks. They were a perfect match to the major change that the White Fang's logo had undergone. Blake carefully edged to the bend and poked her head around it to get a look.

She found the two horned faunus along with a third. A single light burned bright over a door to a warehouse that the third was guarding; a properly-dressed, gray haired man who was at odds with the more casually-dressed arrivals. Going by how the pair shared a similar structuring of their horns and short, brown hair, Blake could confidently deduce that she was looking at a brother and sister. There were no words exchanged. As soon as the brother approached the sentry, the man handed them something and stepped aside to wave them towards the door.

Blake glanced back at the marks. _They guide any faunus to a White Fang meeting._

This had to be what they were looking for and the revelation had Blake pausing as another comparison of the past and the present came up. She and her former comrades had always taken what they could for a base but they had never needed to hide or place such signs to guide other faunus to them. They were always open and welcoming, willingly taking in anyone who wanted to dedicate their efforts to the social progress that they were striving to make. As low as the treatment was that humans gave to them, they never needed to hide from them like this.

Blake turned back to Sun. "This is it."

"You sure?"

She glared up at him.

Sun raised his hands in surrender. "You know, I'm just going to take your word for it."

Blake undid her bow, letting her cat ears go free. Together, she and Sun went down the path, the sentry turning at their approach, and Blake could see a bat ear that was located at the left side of his head. There was no matching one to his right and Blake didn't like the possible implications that its disappearance gave her. He looked to each of them, putting unique attention on Blake's ears and Sun's tail that the monkey faunus made sure was poking out from behind him. He didn't ask any questions, the extra appendages that each carried enough for him to search within his suit jacket and hand them each an item like he did with the siblings.

Blake knew what she received once she grabbed it but chose to go forward when she was waved on, forgoing a visual examination for now. If she needed further proof that they were exactly where she hoped they'd be, it was when they stepped inside, the door being closed behind them as soon as they entered, and seeing not only the horned siblings but a small group of other faunus that were being gathered together at the end of the hall. What sealed the deal was the one individual that stood in front of them, features hidden by a white tunic, a hood, and a fanged, metal mask. A White Fang soldier.

 _This is it._ The doorway that the small group stood in front of had to lead to the center of the warehouse and, Blake guessed, where they were holding their meeting for the night. They were just waiting to see who else would join and then they would start.

"I don't get it," Sun said unexpectedly. When Blake looked back, it was to see Sun inspecting the item that he had been given in his hands. "If you believe what you're doing is right, why hide who you are?"

Blake looked down at the mask she held. Gray in color, angular in design, and was meant to be worn over the upper half of the face over their noses and eyes while hugging the sides of their heads, resting behind their human pairs of ears. It was a simpler design than what the regular soldiers wore to mark them as recruits - they had two slits over where each eye would be but lacked the fang and covered a little less.

Masks or other methods to hide the faces of members of the White Fang had been used as soon as they began their terrorist actions to hide their identities from the police and other law enforcement. It had usually been restricted to renown members who were gaining more attention but, overtime, the White Fang found a better use for them.

"The masks are a symbol," Blake explained. "Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us, so we chose the don the faces of monsters."

"Grimm masks." Sun turned the mask around in his hands, frowning at its appearance. "That's kinda dark."

"So was the guy who started it." Blake imagined her mask having the red designs that would've covered the eye slits and accentuated the monstrous image that it invoked.

Other than the absence of the designs, the mask was identical to the one that Adam wore when she last saw him. Her old partner having been coming to mind since she became determined to stop the White Fang, she wondered why he had never changed it and let it be the design to issue to simple recruits.

 _Maybe that's the point,_ Blake hypothesized. She and Adam had been with the White Fang at the start and, between the two of them, he had been the one to rise to one of its elite members in a short amount of time. He had the brutality, the ferocity, and the sheer ruthlessness that their leaders wanted. Maybe his mask was meant to refer to his journey amongst the ranks: once a recruit, now one of its most feared and respected members with the ink meant to match the blood that he had shed and smeared upon himself to get there.

And whereas other lieutenants wanted to adopt a more terrifying design to strike added fear into the hearts of the enemies, Adam wanted what of his features he kept bare to be as terrible and symbolic as the Grimm they imitated.

As much as Blake once tried to defend him in the past and wanted to believe that he wasn't lost, associating him with such terms and thinking him in this way was surprisingly easy. Was the severing of their bond and her separation of him for these past months to blame for that? By being exposed to the kindness of her friends, the love she had for Yang, and how she had been given nothing but hope since arriving at Beacon, had she come to better realize just what the White Fang are now?

When she brought the mask to her face, it was then that she considered something ominous. They weren't here. She had Sun – and she was beginning to appreciate the decision of bringing him along - but she wasn't at Beacon nor did she have Yang or her team with her. Like back at the docks, when she had been without them last, she was surrounded by her former comrades with the added risk of being right in the heart of their meeting area. She was also in the presence of recruits - faunus who had been in the same position that she had been in, about to make the biggest mistakes of their lives.

Except back then, it had seemed like the right thing to do.

Putting on the mask did little to assuage these concerns. She had never worn one before and her initial impression was that it was tight against her head even when an experimental shake said that she had plenty of room. Her vision was narrowed, restricted to what little the slits offered. She didn't like it. It was heavy. Stifling.

She bore with it. She waited for Sun to get his mask on - making a comment about sunshines and rainbows while he did so - and then they merged into the rest of the crowd to wait until it started. It didn't take long. They were instructed to stick to the right. Of what, Blake found out when they were led into the center of the warehouse.

Row upon row of White Fang soldiers, taking up two-thirds of the interior of the warehouse while the recruits took up the rest when they were ushered in and assembled in a crowd that lacked their discipline and uniformity. There were others guarding the doors and stationed high above the overhanging catwalks, armed with rifles and holding commanding positions over the assembly.

Near the end of their peaceful stance, the White Fang had difficulties getting these kinds of numbers in one place for a rally nonetheless a simple meeting. If the bodies here didn't exceed a hundred, they had to have at least reached it easily and each and every one of them were not here for peace but for the savage and bloody wolf symbol that was painted on a hanging curtain up on the stage that had been erected for this occasion.

Blake was uncomfortable. Between the heavy mask on her face, her narrowed vision, and this thick crowd, a sense of claustrophobia descended upon her.

_Why so many? Why are there so many here, ready to fight, when there hadn't been anything like this when we wanted help to attain peace? I've only been gone for nearly a year but it's gotten to be like this?_

Up on the stage, a soldier stood at the center but he was different than the rest. He was larger, the sleeves of his uniform missing to expose the bulging muscles on his arms that he waved above his head, signaling for attention. A swirling black tattoo decorated his left arm while armored braces were worn at his wrists. He was missing the hood, leaving the close-cropped black hair visible, but there were no animal characteristics in sight that would mark what kind of faunus he was.

He had the mask but it was also different. It covered his face in its entirety with red, angry eyes painted where his should be. Trailing down the eyes were thin streaks of the same color that stretched all the way to the bottom of the chin.

The lieutenant's - for clearly that was who he had to be - voice was deep and powerful, reverberating strongly throughout the warehouse-turned auditorium as he addressed the crowd once silence had been achieved. "Thank you all for coming! For those of you are joining us tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours!"

At one end of the curtain, a man stepped around it to be brought into view. The lieutenant pointed to him. "I can assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for for so long!"

The assurance must've been meant in an attempt to settle the disturbance that overtook the crowd when the new arrival walked over to take a spot on the stage, the lieutenant stepping aside to relinquish the center to him. It made it easier for Blake to see who it was and she recognized what little the narrow slits offered. The white suit, the cane, the hat and orange hair, and the confident and easy gait that brought him forward for all to look upon him.

It was Roman Torchwick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to weissrabbit and her Grimmdark AU.


	5. Techs Mechs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Originally, Techs Mechs was to be the title of the episode but Painting the Town won out. Apparently it was decided that Techs Mechs sounded too much like an episode for Red vs Blue.

_Movement drew Sun's gaze across the table but he didn't hold much hope for anything new. With his teacup hanging from his tail, he swirled it languidly while he watched the golden-eyed, bow-wearing girl take a slow sip from her own tea before staring down into the cup, a weary sigh leaving her lips but nothing else._

_Funnily enough, today could be considered as the most progress he's made with Blake Belladonna since officially meeting and introducing himself to her Friday night when he found her alone in Beacon's courtyard, a sad expression like the one he was looking at now on her face with lowered cat ears in plain sight. After following her into Vale, he had camped out near the hotel that she had chosen as her residence for the two days afterwards, making it a habit to periodically approach her room, knock on her door, and try to get her to come out. Each visit rewarded him with just a little more; from an immovable door to the small cracks that Blake would use to give him an annoyed look with her demand to leave her alone evolving to questions as to why he was bothering her._

_The answer he had given her remained the same: she was interesting. Having left Haven and his team to make an early journey to Vale, the main obstacle that Sun would have to overcome was finding something interesting to distract himself with and keep him entertained until the arrival of his fellow students. A good chase by the police was one way to do it but what immediately caught Sun's interest was when he ran past a colorful group of girls who were all armed. That, he quickly understood, was something that Vale and Mistral shared: groups of teen students that liked to wander through the city when they weren't studying on how to fight and kill monsters._

_Blake had been one of them and he had instantly recognized her for what she was. Those eyes, that bow - she looked like a cat. Being a faunus himself, he recognized the signs immediately. But the real interesting part was that she was trying to hide those signs._

_And Blake just kept getting more and more interesting afterwards. Other than confirming that she was actually a faunus Huntress-in-training, before he even got the chance to learn anything else she was speeding her way to the last public airship ride to Vale for the night with him being quick to follow and shacking up in that hotel room alone. She had been particularly insistent on the alone part so Sun took it to mean the opposite._

_It was more than his curiosity getting the best of him. He was also concerned. An aura of gloom had followed Blake out of Beacon that was practically tangible to Sun and during a couple of his visits to the hotel when she would deign to look at him, he had noted the signs of her having been crying. Sure, she was a faunus, but even if she wasn't Sun wouldn't have been able to find it in him to leave behind a girl who was that upset. He did want to help for the sake of helping._

_But even after leaving the hotel room this morning and leading him to this teashop, she hadn't spoken a word. Although she glanced up at him, how she returned to silently staring into her cup told Sun that he shouldn't be expecting a change so he brought his cup over to take his own sip._

_It was after obtaining a generous mouthful that Blake set her teacup down and said, "So, you want to learn more about me."_

_How she stared so fixated on him was enough for Sun to realize that he was about to make a huge jump in terms of progress. Gulping down his tea, he shot his hands up in victory. "Finally, she speaks!" He motioned with tail and cup towards her. "Nearly two days and you've been giving me nothing but small talk and weird looks."_

_Blake had appeared surprised at his enthusiasm but the mentioning of the last had her frowning at him in disapproval._

_"Yeah, like that," he pointed out, unfazed by it or how Blake then rolled her eyes at him thanks to the prospect of actually learning more about this interesting cat girl._

_He needn't have to wait. Looking at him seriously now, Blake asked, "Sun, are you familiar with the White Fang?"_

_Sun practically pounced on the question in his enthusiasm. "Of course! I don't think there's a faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier than thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks if you ask me."_

_Sun hadn't heard anything about them when he lived in Vacuo and wondered if they even existed during that time or he was just too young to remember. In any case, it was only sometime after he moved to Mistral did the name and their actions circulated around the globe. They lacked a significant presence in Mistral but he heard the stories: faunus terrorists that stole, murdered, and sabotaged whatever they could as long as it involved humans getting the brunt of it. It was said that the main goal of the White Fang was to wipe out all humans from the face of Remnant._

Murdering psychopaths, _Sun summed up._

_Blake didn't react, instead taking another sip of her tea with Sun following suit. Then, in a completely calm and even voice, she revealed, "I was once a member of the White Fang."_

_Sun hadn't finished and choked on his tea upon hearing that. His tail quickly slamming his cup back down before he could drop and break it, he held up his hands to his mouth, trying not to drench Blake's face as he coughed and sputtered. Once he recovered and wiped the excess from his chin, he stared at Blake with shock. "Wait a minute._ You _were a member of the White Fang?"_

_He couldn't believe it. Her? Sure, it's only been two days, but it was enough for him to be positive that she wasn't any kind of insanity-driven terrorist. He couldn't picture this calm, reserved face having the maniacal, blood-stained grin that always came to mind whenever he heard of the White Fang._

_Blake had closed her eyes in what must've been anticipation, expecting Sun's outburst and having braced for it. No matter how impossible he thought it was, it was Blake who quietly confirmed it. "That's right."_

* * *

There came a mixed reaction in response to the human who stepped onto the stage and became the center of what was otherwise an all-faunus rally. The veterans weren't surprised or disgusted. Instead, many actually waved their fists in the air but not to damn him. They were cheering for him with a few even clapping.

Roman took it all in stride, smiling and waving towards the side of the warehouse where the experienced members were situated. "Thank you, thank you!" He took to the center of the stage that the lieutenant left to him, putting him right in the middle of them all. "Please, hold your applause."

Over at the other side where the new recruits were, a stunned silence had fallen over them, all of them unsure as to how to react. A human was before them but no one was taking any action against him. Quite the opposite and the cheers of their brethren had to be leaving them incredulous.

One faunus with short deer antlers eventually spoke up to demand the answers they wanted, pointing to Roman while shouting, "What's a human doing here!?"

Roman immediately swiveled to her, smile stretching wider as he said, "I'm glad you asked that, deery." He gave the rest of the crowd a long, visual sweep. "Now, I'll be the first to admit: humans..." He held up his cane, shaking the end in time with his next few words. "Are. The. Worst. Especially to each other. Case in point." He touched the brim of his hat for emphasis.

"And you can take it from this human at how willing we are to sell our own kind out. Why, we can hardly go through a couple decades never mind a century without finding some excuse to kill each other in order to get what we want. But I don't think there's any need for a history lesson. After all, for all that we're capable of doing to each other, it's not even close to how we treat you, is it? They call this era we're in a time of peace but the funny thing about human peace is that it doesn't include any of you, does it? It's why you're here, is it not?"

The criminal paused in his speech and was satisfied at how quiet the crowd was, cheers and jeers no longer being issued he reeled them in. "For as many breaks that us humans give each other, when have we ever given you lot the same? We've enslaved you, beaten you, rejected you, and made it quite clear that what's ours isn't yours - or what's yours isn't yours. We take what we want - your homes, your friends, your families - and when you try to fight back, when you _defend_ yourselves, we have the nerve to make you out as the savage animals that need to be tamed or exterminated if you refuse. Anything to keep you beneath us, am I right?"

Much like before, he got the intended reaction. The soldiers were visibly and loudly agreeing with one in particular shouting, "That's right!" Over by the recruits, controversial murmurs rippled through them as they looked at one another. Their masks hid what they thought but the hesitant nods said it all.

"You've tried to be civilized," Roman went on, taking ground. "You have your little get-togethers, stand outside with your signs, and what has that accomplished? More of you being sent off to jail, a little time in hard labor, all so that humans can remain blissfully happy with their lives that cost you your blood, sweat, and freedom." He started throwing up fingers one-by-one. "Government, military, even the schools - they're all to blame for your lot in life with their laws, their education, and their forces that had been made to keep you in servitude.

"As you've finally become aware, a system as corrupt as that cannot be changed unless you utterly destroy it. Now, this is where I come in." Roman had been steadily drifting off to the side of the stage where he then snapped his fingers.

With him out of the way, there was nothing to obstruct what had been hidden behind the hanging curtain when it fell away. It was a bipedal machine of massive proportions, the arms that were bent and pointed forward armed with cannons while sensor pods and other armaments bristled all along the rest of its body. Its appearance brought a round of silence to the crowd as every single faunus in attendance had to gaze up at it in amazement.

Roman rapped his knuckles against one of the legs that supported the mech's large body, the size and the amount of armor making the limb taller and thicker than he was. "This, as some of you may've heard, is the Atlesian Paladin: Atlas's newest line of defense against all the scary things in the world." How he made sure to stare pointedly at his audience suggested at what some of those 'scary things' may be. "And thanks to my employer, we've managed to snag a few before they hit the shelves. This and more is the kind of arsenal I can provide for you.

What may be going through your minds at this moment is why would a human such as myself want to help you? I'm sure that as soon as you saw me you wanted me locked up or, better yet, killed. The answer is rather simple: we have a common enemy. As you can guess, I hold no love for the government either and would enjoy seeing it brought down. My contributions are to help level the playing field."

He returned to the front of the stage and he could see the changing opinions that had occurred. Once divided, both halves of the warehouse were united in the confidence and the actual hope that was incited by the criminal merchant and his promises of death-dealing wares. Taking his time to bask in the moment, Roman slipped a hand within his suit.

"Many of your brothers have already moved down to our new operation to the southeast. If you'd rather stay within the city...that's fine." How he said that suggested otherwise. Finding one of his cherished cigars, he pointed the end of it towards them. "But if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, I think we can all agree that I can offer you the best chance for your long-awaited and well-deserved victory."

He stuck the cigar between his teeth, waiting, and then, with a smirk, he asked, "Any questions?"

* * *

Once Roman's speech was done, it was unanimous as to the standing of the crowd. Again it was the soldiers who reacted first, a cheer being started and then gaining in volume as rank upon rank joined in, supplementing them with fists waving high above their heads. And this time the recruits weren't as skeptical thanks to the battlesuit that was marked by the White Fang's insignia on the side to prove the authenticity of who possessed such firepower and, thus, a true measure of power that could stand up to their human adversaries.

For Sun, this was pretty much how he imagined the White Fang as. Looking to his left where the soldiers were, he got a clear view of their uniforms and their fanged masks. Between the hoods and the rest of their coverings, all that Sun could see other than the occasional faunus appendage were their excited grins at the idea of being able to cause the carnage that Torchwick was promising.

He'd gotten a good look at them back at the docks when he had been their target at the time and he found little difference between then and now. He had been surrounded by them once, at the center of their attention, and he experienced all too well their intentions to kill him. For wanting to obtain faunus supremacy and preaching about the evils of humans, they didn't seem to hold any compunctions about killing him - all at the order of a human like Torchwick no less.

 _Psychopaths and hypocrites_ , Sun decided.

Once again there was Roman at the center of attention - actually, no; he had someone else with him. With a now lit cigar in his mouth, Roman had his hands raised like a conductor and his orchestra was following his signals to the letter. Taking obvious pleasure in it, the criminal made his way off to the side so that the White Fang lieutenant from before could take over.

In doing so, he came next to another individual who was nothing like the other White Fang personnel. More like a midget ice cream girl. With Roman there to be a comparison, the top of her head hardly reached up to his chest and it was covered in a bright mix of pink and brown with white streaks going through the pink half. Other than not having any sort of animal characteristics that would've marked her as a faunus, her style of dress was vaguely similar to Roman's with her white jacket and gloved hands.

Whereas Roman was more professional in appearance though, she seemed more carefree with her jacket only covering her chest at the front and even then the collar was open to show the pink interior and disorganized mess of necklaces. The back reached down to her thighs which were sheathed in brown pants and supplemented with white knee-high boots. A black corset hugged her diminutive form but how it curved inwards at the bottom left her pale hips exposed.

It was pretty clear that whoever that girl was, she was in league with Roman. While the man puffed on his cigar, she stood with arms crossed over her chest and staring at the scene before her with an expression that spoke of boredom.

And it was beneath the presences of these two that the faunus went on with their celebrations with the lieutenant choosing to let them do so for a while longer. While Sun expected as much from the more brainwashed members, he was actually surprised by how the recruits - the ones who were showing up to see what this was all about - had been swept up as well, showing just as much vigor if not more.

"I can't believe they're actually buying into this crap," Sun whispered to Blake, conscious of the possibility of faunus with exceptional hearing possibly overhearing him.

Blake had said little during the presentation, only voicing a question of how Roman had possibly gotten the Paladin but nothing else. She was examining the others as well, possibly as disbelieving as he was that there were so many who were actually stupid enough to fall for this. He couldn't read her expression or even know where she was looking thanks to the mask but eventually her head came back forward and he guessed she was staring ahead towards the stage.

"How can they not?"

Sun was only able to stare at Blake incredulously, needing time to actually register what she said and even more to realize that they were the exact opposite of what he expected. "What?"

Blake made a discreet sweeping motion to everyone around them. "How can they not go for this? The discipline, the weapons, the numbers that they see here - all within the middle of a human-centric kingdom . These meetings are perfectly tailored to be irresistible to any recruits that come here. What they end up seeing of the White Fang here is something far more than what the news and the governments paint them as. Instead of radicals and terrorists, what they see here are an organized group of revolutionaries that possess the resources and the drive to make the changes that any faunus who comes here is looking for. Just coming to one of these meetings means that they're already interested so the White Fang just needs to show that they can be everything that a new recruit hopes them to be."

"But they're following orders from a human," Sun countered. "How can they be okay with that? Especially someone like Torchwick?"

Blake lifted her chin and Sun didn't need to see her eyes to know that she was staring at the smoker in question. "A human in exchange for what? The guns? The Bullheads? That mech right there with the promise for more? If I..." Her lips froze, and then, "If I was still part of the White Fang and had seen all this, how would I refuse? Our group had never been this well-equipped before, always fighting with what scraps we could get our hands on."

As if to prove her point, she shrugged her one shoulder to bring his attention to Gambol Shroud. "Roman can get these things. He can turn them into the army that we're seeing here. He's a criminal, yes, and well-known, but with that infamy comes a measure of trust that, while he may only be doing this for his own benefit, the White Fang can rest assure that he won't double-cross them to the same authorities that want him nearly just as much. In that small way they're the same. And, as you saw, whatever misgivings that anyone new may have becomes irrelevant when you see so many of their comrades that are completely fine with this arrangement that benefits them this much."

"They have to know what they're going to be doing though," Sun tried again, still needing to find more sense in this. He waited a second, letting the chanting of the crowd fill the gap he left. "It's not about equality anymore. They aren't doing this so that all faunus and humans can be buddy-buddy. They're chanting for _blood_ , Blake. Even I know that. They like that giant robot with the big guns because of how it's going to be used to kill people. Humans just like all our friends."

"I know, Sun. Believe me, I know just what kind of monsters many of them have become." When she turned to the one half of the warehouse, Sun wondered if she was trying to make out any of her former comrades within the uniformed ranks. A frown weighed heavily on her features. "But I also know why they became this way.

They - we tried, Sun. I was out there with them, spending years of our lives trying. Never had we struck back. Never had we answered any violence that humans threw at us with violence of our own. We wanted to show them that we weren't the animals that they may think of us as before and after the Faunus War. We wanted to show that we were just as much human as they were and that we wanted to live the peaceful lives with them together. We tried so hard and in the end..."

She drifted off, both her voice and her gaze which went to the new recruits. "I thought I was over it. I thought I put this behind me. Being here, seeing these faunus who came here, seeing all the hate...I can remember when it all happened. I remember why we fell when we decided that enough was enough. It wasn't just the humans who would throw the stones; there were also the ones who wouldn't do anything to stop them.

For some of those, they just didn't care whether because it didn't concern them or they truly didn't believe the issue was as serious as it was. That was what made them worse to me. The curses, the beatings, the unlawful arrests - as horrible as they were, that was typical. The continued ignorance, the unwillingness to help or do anything to support us and make changes...that just told us that nothing was going to happen. We made all that effort, spent all that time with the belief that they would see that we were just like them, only for nothing to happen..."

A change came over Blake and it was one that Sun didn't like. As she was speaking, he saw her lip begin to curl. At her side, fingers closed to form a tight fist. At her head, those cat ears lowered threateningly.

"No," she said severely. "Not just nothing. The ones who wouldn't do anything and who saw nothing wrong because it didn't directly affect them...even then, they saw us as troublemakers. We lived in their cities, had jobs, and they thought that was enough and we were just being selfish and just trying to get more. That was all they saw. They may not beat us, but they would think we deserved it when another did."

That fist shook at her side. "It got to that point where, when everyone already thought that we were monsters, we finally crossed that line so that we could go right up to them and say, 'No, _this_ is how monstrous we can be, and it's your fault for pushing us this far.'"

With that mask, with that disdain...right now, Sun saw little difference between Blake and the other faunus around them. It shocked him with how, once, when the girl who calmly sipped at her tea had unveiled her previous affiliation and history with the White Fang with him, he didn't believe it. To see her like this...

Sun looked at Blake, then to the rest, and tried - _really tried_ \- to understand.

He had a good life. Going over his history, Sun could say that growing up in Vacuo and then Mistral had been fun. There was the occasional bully, a few humans that called him names and made fun of him because he had a tail, but it was nothing like the life that Blake shared with him. He got even with those humans that slighted him, usually with pranks or making off with something of theirs, but he always thought that both the antagonism and a little payback was normal. He had friends in Vacuo and when he moved to Mistral he had been fortunate with becoming best friends with Neptune and then Sage and Scarlet. He was the only faunus on their team but they would do anything for him and he knew without a doubt that he would do the same for them.

Despite being a faunus, did that make him guilty of the same ignorance that angered Blake? He hadn't known about the White Fang when he had been younger and had been surprised when Blake told him about the history of the group and just what their original purpose was. Before and even after she told him, he had seen the White Fang as the criminals they were made out to be because they were using violence for no reason. Had that just been because he had been so fortunate?

 _If I hadn't been, would I have turned out like them?_ he dared to wonder for the first time.

He asked himself that question again and again. Each repetition was joined with each and every difficulty that Blake had mentioned and he tried to put himself in her shoes in those early days of the Fang.

Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't do it. If he was supposed to be feeling any sympathy or any kind of connection to these faunus here, he wasn't feeling it. Whatever kinship there might've been that came with sharing the same race, it wasn't there. The only people he cared about were his teammates of team SSSN and the White Fang was just another enemy on par with the Grimm in terms of wanting to kill them. For that, Sun would fight them with all he had.

"It doesn't make any of this right," he stated. "I may not have gone through any of what you or anyone else here had been forced to go through to understand but I don't regret that. I mean yeah, it sucks that things have come to this and they tried, but that doesn't make what they're doing right and anyone else who's joining now are just doing it because they want to kill humans and the White Fang are giving them a chance to do that. They gave up hope and that's why there's no hope for them."

He touched Blake's arm. "You're not like them. You left because you saw and knew what they were doing was wrong. Even after going through the same things they did, you were able to realize that while they chose to keep going. There's still hope for people to change even if it'll take longer than you might've wanted but I'll damn well fight for it."

Blake was already relaxing before he was done. That angry scowl vanished while the tension he felt in her arm gave out and those fingers uncurled from that fist. She breathed in and out slowly, calming herself until she was ready to speak. "Hearing you say that and having met other faunus who feel the same way does give me hope. I thought that what they were doing was wrong and I did leave instead of staying and joining them, but I lost all hope in the world changing. With you, with Yang and our friends, and everyone else at Beacon...I'll fight the White Fang to protect them and the hope that we'll all be able to make things better in the future."

Her furred ears had similarly eased and they twitched up to return to listening to their surroundings. Blake frowned once more as she was brought back to the present. "But humanity as a whole still needs to make larger strides. Even if we stop the White Fang, it'll all just happen again if everyone looks back and sees this as a few faunus extremists who needed to be taken down. If they don't learn just as they didn't after the Faunus War, another White Fang that'll be even more terrible than this one will take its place."

"Well we won't know that unless we give them the chance, right?" Sun questioned good-naturedly with a grin.

Unfortunately, his efforts were futile in this instance as Blake didn't attempt to mirror him. Instead, she lifted a hand, her fingertips touching the side of her mask. She said something and Sun had to lean close to hear it.

"This could've been me, Sun."

What had to be a frozen chunk of Mantle dropped into the pit of his stomach. Reminding himself of his promise to Yang, Sun gave Blake a shake. "Let's get out of here. We got all that we came here for and I think it's more than enough. It's about time we got back to Yang and the rest of our friends and figure out how we're going to stop these guys."

Blake's hand fell away from her mask and she nodded. Reassured, Sun began looking around to locate an exit they could use - and froze.

Torchwick was standing still, holding his cigar in front of his mouth with smoke curling at the end, and he was staring right at them. Sun's immediate hope was that something else caught the man's attention but the sensation of how Roman was looking right through his mask dissolved it.

 _Okay, just play it cool_. Creating a friendly smile, Sun waved in what he thought was a completely convincing and in no way suspicious manner.

Roman threw his cigar to the stage floor, practically snarling before going to the lieutenant to inform him about the intruders.

"Uh, Blake? He sees us."

Blake must've noticed and was already doing her own search. For what he didn't know but when she turned to him she produced a smirk. "He can't see in the dark."

By examining where she had been looking at, Sun found the breaker panel at the back wall of the warehouse. In the short few seconds it took him to connect the dots, Blake had already unsheathed Gambol Shroud, aimed with the barrel of the integrated pistol, and fired.

There came a shower of sparks from the panel as Blake's shot tore through it and the circuitry it had meant to protect. All the lights in the warehouse instantly shut off, pitching the interior in total darkness. Between that and the loud gunshot, chaos immediately took hold of the crowd with faunus screaming in surprise and fear.

"Let's go!"

Sun didn't know where they were going but chose to follow Blake when she began pushing through struggling bodies. They weren't running in the direction of the entrance that they came in through but he didn't say anything, choosing to trust her as they fought their way to one side of the warehouse. He happened to glance back at the stage to see what was going on and, true to Blake's word, Roman was squinting and rapidly turning his head to try and spot them in all the ruckus.

"Don't let them get away!" he shouted but the command was pretty useless.

"Sun, the window!" Blake directed, already leaping to one of the overhead catwalks. A gunman happened to be posted there and was too confused to put up a fight when Blake kicked him over the side.

Sun jumped up to join her, the catwalk putting them up to the same level as the line of windows along the side of the warehouse. Before they went through, a loud humming and how it managed to break through the chaos drew their attention back to the stage to find that the cockpit to the Paladin was open with Roman seated inside of it. The humming was the mech powering up, coinciding with whatever buttons and switches Roman was hitting. The two faunus glanced at one another, already knowing what was going on, and without any further delay the jumped off the catwalk and dove through the window.

Sun ignored the shards that fell with them, his only concern to get as far away from the warehouse as much as possible. He hit the pavement hard, his stumbling steps nearly tripping him up but he recovered and ran as fast as he could. A quick look over his shoulder showed Blake having dropped behind but keeping up.

And behind her, the entire side of the warehouse exploded outwards with the hulking form of the Paladin smashing through before pursuing the faunus.

* * *

 _I figured that there had to be more, but this much?_ While waiting for the elevator to drop down and deliver her to the skyport's terminal, Weiss had brought out her scroll to get a head start on the information that she collected.

It didn't take long before she found what she needed. She had been given everything she asked for, her position in the Schnee dynasty having paid off as she expected it to as she was looking at records for every licensed distributor in every kingdom that the SDC supplied and had experienced a robbery or some form of criminal activity. She tried to keep her search criteria limited, narrowing it down from the beginning of this year to now and having the kingdoms ranked from highest to lowest in terms of the number of robberies.

It came as no surprise that Vale would be at the top, but what did surprise Weiss was by how much. According to the documents, Dust that amounted to millions of Lien had been stolen in the wake of the sudden spike that's occurred over the last few months. Hijacked cargo from trains and those offloaded from freighters to break-ins of smaller shops.

_Even before the military took over and security had been increased, it had never been like this in Atlas. Not in such a short amount of time either. What could they possibly be doing with all that Dust?_

The elevator settled to the ground floor with the doors parting a moment later. As soon as she stepped out into the terminal, Weiss suddenly jerked when the wall of text was replaced by a notification of an emergency call with Blake coming in loud over the line.

"Everyone! If you can hear me we need-"

"Heeelllp!" a second voice cut in and Weiss immediately recognized it as Sun's.

 _Nothing can ever go off without a hitch, can it?_ Weiss silently bemoaned. Gripping her scroll tightly, she sped out of Vale's skyport, summoning a glyph in mid-air as soon as she rushed out the door and hopping onto it. She summoned another, this one higher, and used the first to jump onto the second and repeating the process, creating a trail of glyphs that she began traversing to come to the rescue of her friends.

* * *

"They got a robot and it's big! Really big!"

Yang had finished clipping on her helmet when her scroll buzzed. With her and Neptune seated on Bumblebee, Yang brought it out and she felt her passenger shift closer to peer over her shoulder while Sun desperately informed them about the situation.

"That Torchwick guy's in it! But not, like, it didn't eat him; he's, like, controlling it or something!"

"Where are you guys?" Yang asked.

The next shout didn't come from her scroll but behind them. "WE'RE OVER HERE!"

Yang and Neptune spun around, catching sight of Blake and Sun running down another street with a two-story tall robot stomping right behind them. They were there for a second and gone the next, leaving Yang and Neptune to stare disbelievingly.

Neptune was the first to say something. "...I think that was them."

"Yeah," Yang returned sharply, slotting her scroll into the dash of her motorcycle. "I got it."

Bumblebee's engine clicked on and roared when Yang twisted the throttle hard and swung the back wheel around, Neptune's surprised yelp joining the screeching tires as Yang performed her one-eighty turn and went full speed after their partners.

* * *

Ruby had been hard at work using the wooden planks she scavenged to weigh down the lid of the dumpster, making sure that the vermin trapped inside wouldn't get out and terrorize any more helpless citizens of Vale. When the call came in, she immediately dumped the rest in favor of giving her undivided attention to the situation. She really only had one thing to say about it. "Oh I am not missing this!"

She was already navigating out of the alley when she began tapping on her scroll, activating the tactical map that was a feature for every device that was issued to Hunters. A miniaturized map of Vale appeared on her screen and her scroll began establishing a link to the scrolls of the other members of her team. "Blake, where are you?"

Blake didn't answer and Ruby wondered if she was too busy trying to get rid of her pursuit to answer. "Sun and I are on the highway."

"The highway!?" That and Blake's hesitant tone let Ruby know that it wasn't that the faunus couldn't answer; it was that she didn't want to.

"I thought we could lose him on the highway or he would give up rather than be seen in public with his machine," Blake tried to explain. "I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"He wants you and Sun dead," Yang cut in and Ruby could hear the telltale sound of the engine of her sister's motorcycle. "I'm guessing you found the meeting and learned something."

"Yeah, we-" There came a grunt from Blake and Ruby could make out the blaring of a car horn. "We'll talk about it later!"

By then Ruby had established her link with the others. On the tactical map, the letters B and Y appeared, steadily moving north on what she knew was the twisting expanse of the various highways with Blake in front and Yang trailing behind her. Somewhere in the middle had to be Torchwick and his mech.

First things first: they had to get Torchwick off the highway where they could fight him without innocent people getting involved. Ruby searched and found the W that was approaching the highway from the northwest. Weiss must've just flown in when the call came and was already on her way. "Weiss, are you listening?"

"I heard everything," she replied. "I'm going as fast as I can."

"We need to knock him off and get him below the highway. We can fight him there."

"Away from the people and on open ground." If they weren't in the middle of a serious situation, Ruby would've taken pride in the approval she heard from Weiss. "That's the best choice. Leave it to me."

Ruby grinned. "Think you can do it?"

She knew that Weiss had to be doing the same with how she teased, "Can I?"

Leaving it at that, Ruby went over the map. Based on how fast they were moving and how far away she and Weiss was, the best place would be... "Here." She tapped on a point ahead of Blake and Yang and a waypoint appeared where an overpass was located. That would be where they would strike. "We're coming, Blake."

After receiving confirmations from her team, Ruby stepped up her pace, activating her Semblance and taking off in a flurry of rose petals. On her map and on the maps of her teammates, the letters R, W, B, and Y were closing in on each other.

Team RWBY was about to come together and Ruby didn't feel the least bit sorry for what that was going to mean for Roman Torchwick.

* * *

Yang risked a glance at her scroll and nearly paid for it by nearly smashing into the car that was spinning out of control due to a missing front wheel. _This was a real bad idea._

As soon as she took the first ramp up onto the highway, total anarchy had been ready to greet her with the car she narrowly avoided being only one of the several that she had to swerve out of the way of. It didn't take her long to find the cause: the giant mech that bulldozed through anything that happened to be in its path. What should've been an orderly line of evening traffic had become scattered and confused with panicking drivers doing what they could to quickly get out of the way of the rampaging Paladin - even if it meant bumping into others. Any who were too slow were struck by a swinging arm or had an armored foot kicking into their rear fenders, the force more than enough to send them out of control and turning them into deadly obstacles for not only Yang but anyone else on the highway.

It was all so that Roman could reach his intended targets. Staying just out of reach of the Paladin, Blake and Sun were jumping from vehicle to vehicle in order to keep their distance.

On Yang's scroll, a countdown that was steadily ticking next to the designated waypoint told her that they had about a minute until they reached it where Ruby and Weiss would intervene if they maintained their current speed. A minute that Blake and Sun may not have as the Paladin was closing in on them. It was also a minute where people would remain in danger.

"We've gotta slow it down!" Yang shouted back to her passenger.

"Got it!" Neptune replied, already grabbing his weapon from his back. He shouldered it over Yang's head, the blonde able to hear and feel the energy charge up within the rifle as he aimed and prepared to shoot.

As if perceiving the threat, the Paladin reacted almost instantly. Having been content to just knock aside any vehicles that happened to be in its way, the machine was suddenly darting side-to-side. The first car it found it grabbed before tossing it back over its head but after that it began blindly flailing at any vehicle within its reach.

 _Oh, God,_ came the horrified thought but Yang couldn't let it distract her. "Hold on!"

She heard a quick 'Uh oh' from Neptune before he was bending back in his seat, the car that had been tossed sailing over both their heads. Yang juked left and right, tuning out Neptune's cries as she desperately avoided the cars that she drove around and even under. Despite her focus on the maneuvers that were keeping them alive, a part of her nonetheless registered the gut-wrenching sights and sounds of cars twisting and folding up on each other with their collisions whether against the highway, the safety barriers, or other vehicles.

This was exactly what Yang wanted to prevent, having meant for Neptune to distract and slow Roman from not only getting to Blake and Sun but keeping other innocent people out of his reach. She couldn't spare the time now but it'll come to her later as to just how many people had just gotten hurt, most likely seriously. And with how Roman had went for them just as Neptune was about to fire...it had to have been done deliberately in order to try and take them out.

"Has to have a - _woah_ \- warning system!" Neptune chose to explain as if to confirm Yang's suspicions while twisting to the side and pulling his arm and his weapon close, nearly losing both to another car that bounced past them. "Must've came on as soon as I locked on!"

"Then just shoot the damn thing!" Yang barked, desperate to stop Roman.

There was a break as soon as she said it and they took advantage of it, Yang steadying her bike to give Neptune the chance he needed to quickly aim and fire, the stereotypical _pew pew_ of an energy weapon being followed by blue-colored bolts. Two smashed into the Paladin's back and a third flew over its shoulder when it staggered but the fourth was back on target. The damage wasn't significant, not what Yang could see, but it did slow it down which was what she wanted.

She didn't need to say anything to Neptune as he was already acting on their closer proximity to the battlesuit. He flipped his rifle in his hands, the stock lengthening and thinning into a long handle while the main body also transformed, the barrel of the rifle being replaced with a single-edged blade nearly two feet in length. The same blue glow that once encased the barrel now did so for the blade.

Neptune hopped into a crouch, carefully balancing himself on Bumblebee with the glaive pointed towards its intended target, and then sprung towards the Paladin. At the apex of his jump the blade transformed, separating into three smaller ones reminiscent of prongs on a trident, and the change must've been so that he could hold on better when he hurled him and his weapon down to stab deep into the Paladin's back.

 _Nice!_ Yang congratulated.

Roman quickly became aware of this latest threat. Before Neptune could do anything else, the Paladin started thrashing beneath him, shaking and spinning its torso in order to throw him off with the boy holding on tightly to his embedded weapon. Roman was distracted now, and in front of him Blake and Sun came to a halt atop of a pair of their latest vehicles to watch the struggle.

"Neptune, hang on!" Yang managed to hear Sun call out, the monkey faunus standing upon the trailer of a semi. He slapped his hands together palm-to-palm and a bright flash of light briefly hid him from sight. When it passed, it revealed two copies of him having come into being.

Yang knew the products of a Semblance when she saw them, especially when she compared this display to Blake's. Unlike her partner's though, the two clones that stood in front of Sun were like spectral images: bright yellow, translucent outlines that possessed notable characteristics of the original such as his hair, tail, and clothing. One was even armed with a bo staff. And unlike Blake's, where her shadows would remain in existence for a second or two, these not only remained but charged towards the Paladin while Sun stayed where he was, leading Yang to believe that he was mentally controlling them in some way.

The two clones threw themselves at the mech, exploding on contact. Other than getting the Paladin to pause in its efforts to throw Neptune off, they didn't seem effective.

Back on the trailer, Sun broke his stance once his clones were dispensed. Unfolding Ruyi and Jingu in their combined staff form, he went for the Paladin himself, his weapon raised in preparation. By then, Roman had returned to trying to get Neptune off and a particularly vicious shake happened to not only dislodge his trident but send him flying into his partner. Together, the two went over the turquoise wall of energy of the highway's safety barrier and fell from view.

With them gone, Yang freed one hand and prepped her gauntlet with the idea of driving and firing one-handed.

"Ruby, I'm in position!"

Suddenly hearing Weiss's voice made Yang become aware of the overpass that was coming up; the same one that Ruby had marked as their interception point. A white figure flipped and fell from it in order to land on the same highway where the chase was taking place.

With Blake being driven past her, there was nothing between Weiss and the approaching Paladin and Yang was convinced that it actually sped up once Roman understood who it was and intending to crush her underneath the feet of the mech. Weiss was unfazed, the tiny heiress remaining in place with Myrtenaster in hand. Once it was close enough, she stabbed her blade down and a thick sheet of ice instantly spread across the highway.

The Paladin didn't even slow whether because Roman didn't see how a large patch of the road had just been frozen over or he did and assumed that his machine would remain unaffected. Whatever the case, it ran straight onto the ice and immediately slipped and fell, leading it to slide and tumble past Weiss and into the safety barrier. Though designed to keep any vehicles from falling off the highway, a military-grade battlesuit weighing several tons of armor and weaponry colliding full force proved to be too much, a section of the barrier overloading and dispersing on impact and the Paladin, unobstructed, went over the side.

Yang brought her motorcycle to a screeching halt before she could hit the ice and potentially meet a similar fate. Dismounting, she threw off her helmet and shades and ran to where Weiss and, soon, Blake were waiting and peering over the side of the highway.

"Ruby?" Yang was already asking before she reached them.

Weiss motioned with her chin. "Down there."

Over a hundred feet below them, Yang could see the Paladin having landed and, going by its movements, was none the worse for wear. With it was another small figure, this one with a red cape flapping behind them. "Well what are we waiting for?"

* * *

Ruby recognized that it was more luck than skill that had the falling battlesuit just happening to land on its enormous feet. With bangs blowing back in the wake of the shock that followed the impact taking place right in front of her, it let Ruby fully take in the size of the mechanical monster that returned to its enormous height.

 _That's definitely a Paladin,_ Ruby declared, recognizing the machine. Unlike the hologram that she witnessed at the plaza, however, she was looking at this one in person and there were very obvious differences to be seen here. For one, it was bigger. A lot bigger.

Yang, Weiss, and Blake landed around their leader, all of them with weapons drawn as they took battle-ready positions. The Paladin didn't move to engage just yet, seeming to take its time so that its pilot could register the assembled team of Huntresses before choosing to act. When Roman did, the arms of the mech bent and locked forward, the hands folding back to reveal the barrels of heavy cannons while a second pair of side-mounted guns slid into place.

Those were something else that hadn't been equipped on the holographic presentation. Ruby glanced at her teammates before shouting a command. "Freezer Burn!"

Despite everything that had occurred with RWBY weeks previously that threatened to tear the team apart, there was no changing one important fact: they were Huntresses and, before that night at the docks, they had spent their whole first semester training and learning how to fight together. It gave them a feel of their abilities and how one could complement the other, leading them to form strategies and tactics that would take advantage of their strengths. And, at hearing the order, Weiss and Yang acted to perform with theirs.

Blake and Ruby moved back, leaving their partners behind with Yang leaping straight up into the air while Weiss remained where she was. Myrtenaster's blade once again stabbed into the ground, another ring of ice forming around its mistress, but it wasn't to be used to trip up the Paladin again. Instead, when Yang fell back down, it was to punch right in the center of the ice, the Burn-infused blast of Ember Celica instantly evaporating the ice and creating a layer fog around the surrounding area.

As much as Ruby would like to, she and her team weren't going to fight the Paladin head-on right away. Along with her teammates learning to work together, Ruby's had been pressed to think more tactically. Before Beacon, she would've dove right in, slashing with Crescent Rose with the overconfidence that she could take it down before it could even act. But she was a leader now, meant to not only think of her teammates and how she could use them the most effectively, but to keep them safe and avoid any rash decisions that could put any of them in jeopardy. In this case, it meant creating a window that could be used to know the Paladin's potential strengths and weaknesses better.

She was rewarded for her thinking sooner than she expected. Red lasers pierced through the fog, the source being numerous sensors on the mech that activated and how they swept around the area informed her of their purpose. Within the fog Ruby circled around the Paladin, taking care to avoid the lasers, and knew that her teammates were doing the same as she happened to catch Blake running past her, all of them looking for potential openings. The Paladin moved slowly through the fog, pausing and turning when Roman detected movement, but not firing just yet.

All of a sudden, the torso spun around and the cannons opened fire, blue orbs flying and detonating against the ground and Ruby caught a mix of yellow and white as Yang and Weiss avoided the blasts. While Weiss disappeared, her attire blending perfectly with the fog, Yang wasn't as fortunate and Ruby heart jumped in her throat at seeing a pair of the sensor lasers focusing and following the slowest member of RWBY.

Another pair of blasts fired, exploding close to Yang. Too close. The resulting pressure wave picked Yang off her feet and tossed her roughly to the side. More of the lasers became focused on her, the cannons recorrecting their aim.

Ruby spun on her heel and fired Crescent Rose, launching herself at where she suspected the cockpit was and slashing with her scythe. A noticeable gouge appeared in the armor with the mech taking a step back, its attention diverted from Yang.

"Checkmate!" she called.

Like ghosts, Weiss and Blake materialized from the fog, running past either side of Ruby as they converged on the Paladin. Coming right up to its legs, Myrtenaster and Gambol Shroud cut and sliced, chipping away at the armor. They were too low, Roman unable to bring the cannons down towards them, and attempting to retreat proved how slow the Paladin was as the WB of RWBY followed and stayed within its blind spot where not even the sensor lasers could track them.

Ruby took note of the largest sensor: a bulbous protrusion at the chin of the cockpit. _Weiss!_

Her white-themed partner jumped and the tip of her rapier speared into the sensor unit. Electricity crackled and sparked and not only did that sensor shut down but so did the rest of them, the lasers disappearing.

Ruby experienced a sense of victory and surprise. Victory for having her suspicion confirmed: that that unit in particular was the main one that held the sensor net together. Destroy it, and the rest deactivated as well. Her surprise was how Weiss had known to strike it as well. Had she also recognized the weakness or...or did something else happen?

As effective as the strike was, it put Weiss out of position and Roman making an attempt to stomp Blake forced the faunus back too. With space having been made, hatches over two pods located on top of the Paladin opened to reveal a honeycomb of holes. With a jolt, Ruby recognized what they were just as the salvo of missiles contained within were fired.

Weiss formed a glyph beneath her and Blake, giving them a boost to begin springing back, missiles exploding all around them. It was exactly what Roman wanted as he used the opportunity to level the cannons towards them and fire. Weiss was caught in mid-air but saw the attack coming in time to bring her Aura and Myrtenaster forward, the shots impacting against both and sending her sailing back...but not without casting a quick spell.

Ruby saw the line of golden light that Weiss unleashed and so did Blake. A roll put her right where it landed. It was not the picture of a glyph that appeared at Blake's feet but a yellow clock, complete with visible gears and hands that spun in circles faster and faster. With her at the center, the power of the spell imbued into Blake, the clock vanishing and a bright aura encompassing the usually darker girl.

The Paladin launched another barrage of missiles, every single one aimed right at the faunus. With her speed multiplied by the haste spell, Blake's first swing was a blur, ending with a violet slash composed entirely of her Aura that shot from the blade of Gambol Shroud and intercepted one of the missiles, cutting it in half. One Aura Slash was followed by another, Blake becoming nothing more than a flurry of motion as she created several of them that sliced through the incoming projectiles, a curtain of fire blossoming overhead to mark their destruction and premature detonations.

 _My turn!_ Ruby ran forward. "Ladybug!"

Her order was punctuated with a report from Crescent Rose. Ruby went right between the legs of the Paladin, her scythe slicing against one of them while passing. Stopping and turning, another shot from Crescent Rose sent her on a return trip to perform the same attack again. Blake joined her, her Semblance doing for her what Crescent Rose's recoil did for Ruby. Conscious of the mech's blind spot, its legs became surrounded with rose petals and shadow clones as Ruby and Blake sped past each other, attacking again and again with each pass.

Failing to track them, Roman randomly turned and fired at a point where he expected one of them to be, it happening to be where Ruby was. More than prepared for it, Ruby jumped up, the force of the explosion beneath her adding several feet to her ascent with Blake using her latest clone to join her. With the light of the full moon behind them, they fell upon the Paladin, swinging their weapons together.

They aimed for its left arm. Specifically, they aimed right at the joint; the thinnest and weakest point. Between Crescent Rose and Gambol Shroud, they cut through it cleanly with the Paladin staggering, Roman having to compensate and right it with the sudden loss of so much weight on one side as the heavy cannon fell away. Even with only one left, he was turning it around to seek revenge for the blow.

That was when Yang appeared, latching onto its back. With one hand holding on tight, Yang raised the other and began punching repeatedly into the top of the cockpit, each hit being accompanied with a blast from Ember Celica, the brawler appearing as if she wanted to bust in and drag Torchwick out herself. Whether she would've been successful or not, it didn't matter. Rather than try and shake her off, Roman sent the Paladin in reverse on a collision course to the supporting pillars of the highway.

It smashed through two of them with Yang taking the full force of each one. The third held, crushing her between it and the Paladin. When the mech pulled away, it was to leave Yang stuck to the pillar before her weight freed her, having her fall limply to the ground.

She didn't make it down. By then the Paladin had turned around, the hand of its one arm folding back over so that it can form a fist and catch her in the middle of her journey, punching her through the pillar.

With Blake at Ruby's side, the two of them witnessed Yang hit the ground and roll to a stop, coming to a rest facedown. A look of horror on her face, Blake stepped towards her unmoving partner. "Yang!"

"Don't worry," Ruby assured her. "With each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back."

As she was speaking, Yang was slowly getting back up. Though her head was bowed, she had to notice the Paladin that was approaching her, intent on finishing the job. Instead of being worried, Ruby smiled confidently, having a clear view of how her sister's hair began to glow with growing intensity.

"That's what makes her special."

* * *

**~RWBY Soundtrack - _Die_ ~**

The ground tremored with each step of the Paladin, its shadow eclipsing Yang. Its approach, she knew, promised death as any weapon of war should and it had done nothing but show off the capabilities that made it a killing machine. Its weapons, its size, its _power_.

Power that amounted to nothing when compared to the one she felt burgeoning inside of her.

She felt pain. Though she stood on her feet, her body continued to throb painfully: one giant ache all over. But it did not bring her low. She did not submit to it. She _savored_ it.

It rejuvenated her. While that painful throbbing continued what seemed to be deep into her bones, the pacing of her heart exceeded it. The increasing of her pulse coincided with the rush of her blood and adrenaline; an intoxicating mix that ran hotly through her veins. It cut through the agony, soothing it, but didn't erase it. It remained but it was no longer a means of debilitation as it was a means for her to draw energy from it.

It was more than just the reactions of her body. Power coursed through her; energy that had come rushing out through the floodgates. It charged her Aura, the excess radiating outwards as it sought release wherever it could, including out through the follicles and into the long strands of her hair, causing them to shine brightly.

Yang's fingers curled tightly at her sides, the same way that the larger ones of the Paladin's fist did as it was raised and sent towards her.

Yang brought her hands up to meet it, catching it and she felt how the impact shot through her body, from her hands and down to her feet where the pavement cracked and broke beneath her soles. But she remained standing.

It was only then she opened her eyes, her once bright and soft lilacs having become consumed by the red inferno that burned within her soul. Desiring to be released. Desiring to _burn._

With jaw clenched, Yang pulled her one fist back. Her Aura was supercharging the Dust within Ember Celica, embers venting through the gaps of the gauntlet.

And then she let it all go.

The roar she unleashed from her lips was inadequate to convey the full might of those internal flames but it would do as did the scream of her gauntlet upon impact. She met the Paladin fist-for-fist and it was the mech that failed to take her blow as resolutely. When the force of her hit traveled through the entirety of the arm, plates crumpled, screws flew free, and the limb shattered as if it were glass, pieces flying everywhere.

But it wasn't out of commission. While Yang glared up at the cockpit, ready to enact the fantasy of ripping through and tearing out the pilot from within, the Paladin kicked her away with one its legs.

"Bumblebee!"

The call came as Yang flew past her teammates and she was already reaching out for Gambol Shroud when Blake threw it to her. Grabbing it by the pistol grip, the attached ribbon grew taut with Yang flipping and straightening herself out. With Blake holding the other end, they worked together, Blake swinging her back towards the Paladin with Yang more than ready to meet it, running across the ground before a blast from her gauntlet rocketed her towards the Paladin.

It stepped back, keeping Yang just out of reach but it didn't deter her, her legs still pumping as she prepared to come around again with Blake pulling her along.

"Ice Flower!"

She caught sight of Ruby and Weiss, her sister kneeling down and looking through the scope of Crescent Rose while Weiss manifested her glyphs, three of them; one in front of the other, each smaller than the last. When Ruby fired, her bullet passed through the glyphs which enhanced it with magic. Upon striking the Paladin, ice blossomed along at one shoulder. More rounds were fired with more ice sprouting on one leg, then the center of its torso, then the other leg.

There came another blast of her gauntlet and Yang completed the circle, letting go of Gambol Shroud so that she could soar right at the disabled Paladin. Her next punch went right for the cockpit, the armor buckling beneath her blow, and then it was the juggernaut that was sent flying. When it crashed into the ground, the entire thing came apart, scattering debris, with the cockpit splitting open and disgorging the pilot.

Roman stood up within the remains of the battlesuit, the rough ride leaving him shaking until he got himself under control. Though he surveyed at what was left of the mech, his concern was focused on his suit, the criminal brushing it down while angrily muttering, "Just got this thing cleaned!"

Yang remained where she was, content to just glower at him until he noticed her. Once he did, with his features paling considerably, she worked the pump-action of Ember Celica. _This one's for Ruby, you son of a bitch._

She knew the best thing to do was to capture him and have him answer for his crimes once he gave up everything he knew about the White Fang, but Yang found nothing wrong with making him a bit more _manageable_ for when they brought him in. It was with that in mind she fired, Roman bracing himself against the flare that whistled towards him.

There came a flash of pink, brown, and white with the flare exploding against something just short of its intended target. When the fire and smoke cleared it was to reveal…an umbrella?

The canopy pulled away, revealing the smiling face of a young girl, her hair that was done up in its low ponytail and her clothing made up of the three colors. Neither her or Roman were harmed, what should be an everyday item having somehow protected them against Yang's wrath. While she rested the handle against her shoulder and stood there patiently, Roman seemed to regain his composure as he smirked towards RWBY once the other members rejoined Yang.

"Ladies." He nodded to Weiss. "Ice Queen."

"Hey!"

"Always a pleasure." After giving them a salute full of taunt, he addressed the girl. "Neo, if you would?"

His apparent accomplice bowed towards the Huntresses, that self-assured smile not slackening one bit.

 _Oh no you don't!_ Yang sprinted towards them, refusing to let them get away while the remaining power and aggression still left within her had her roaring as she approached. The Neo girl didn't move, remaining bowed and smiling in the face of the red-eyed rage of the blonde. It was only when Yang got close – so close that she could make out that Neo's eyes weren't normal either; mismatched with the right one brown, the left pink – that the pint-sized girl thrust her umbrella ahead as if to drive back Yang who threw an answering punch.

She may as well have hit a mirror. When Yang connected, the umbrella, Neo, Roman - the very _air_ broke into a million pieces. Once they fell away, it was to show the exact same picture except for one very important detail: Neo and Roman were gone.

Yang swung her head around, searching for any signs of them, and the unmistakable sound of running jet engines had her looking up to catch the Bullhead that flew by. The side hatch was open, letting her see that her targets were safe in the hold before it closed and the airship flew off into the night.

"So I guess he got a new henchman," she muttered angrily, staring at where they disappeared. Despite her anger, the recognition of defeat had the rest of the energy bleeding out of her, her muscles relaxing while her hair and eyes dimmed to their normal color.

"Yeah," Weiss intoned. "I guess she really made our plans…" She turned to Yang, sporting a coy grin. "Fall apart?"

Ruby snorted behind her.

Emboldened, Weiss tried to encourage a response from the other two. "Huh?"

"No," Yang rejected while Blake shook her head and walked away. "Just, no."

"What!?" Weiss planted her hands on her hips, clearly insulted. "But you do it!"

"There's a time and a place for jokes."

"Was this not it?"

"No." Yang turned away, following Blake. "It just wasn't very good."

Weiss strutted after them, still miffed. "Well at least I'm trying!"

Ruby remained where she was, watching her team before a thought came to her. "Wait, where are Sun and Neptune?"

* * *

"They're probably fine, right?" Neptune asked, the question probably influenced by the nearby sound of sirens.

Sun didn't answer right away, too busy slurping up the noodles from his chopsticks. Just when he thought that Vale was all about explosions and doom and glooming faunus, what did he happen to find after he and Neptune fell of the highway? A perfectly good, street-side noodle bar.

The faunus eventually shrugged nonchalantly, only answering properly once he swallowed. "Probably." _I am_ way _too hungry right now anyway._

Neptune continued staring at him for a while longer, waiting for him to perhaps reconsider, but when all Sun did was gather up some more noodles, he swung back around on his stool, soon picking at some fried pork on the side of his rice and curry.

 _They're completely fine._ That was more for himself to shake off any lingering doubts. He's seen what those girls were capable of and he was certain they could handle it. And as for any worries he may have for Blake, well, something told him that, with Yang at her side, she would be fine in that regard too.

Behind the counter, the owner was cleaning up, having gotten ready to close up shop – the banner over Sun's head identified the place as, fittingly enough, _A Simple Wok -_ before two Huntsmen happened to drop in in the literal sense. While slurping his second batch of noodles, Sun quietly regarded him until curiosity begged him to ask, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a brother or some close relative around here, would you?"

The owner - elderly, hunched over with age and having gray, balding hair - answered with a curious, raspy hum that Sun wasn't sure was meant to confirm or deny it. The faunus chose to just let it be but had this odd feeling that he saw this guy from somewhere before. _Eh, whatever._

* * *

With Roman having made his escape, there was really nothing else left for RWBY to investigate. Well, nothing except a destroyed battlesuit.

"This is so cooolll!" came Ruby's squeal.

"Get your head out of there, dolt!" Weiss reprimanded.

"But Weiss, this is the best piece I could find!" The 'best piece' being the left arm of the Paladin that Ruby and Blake had sliced off. The scythe-wielder was currently staring straight down into the barrel of the cannon. "The others are too small thanks to Yang!"

"Next time I'll try to be a bit gentler," Yang promised.

Blake was standing off to the side with her partner, satisfied with watching Ruby getting her 'exclusive sneak peek' while Weiss fussed over her. She would only watch the scene for a few seconds before she found her gaze drifting to Yang, quietly eyeing her.

Yang soon noticed and quirked a brow in question. "Something wrong?"

Blake shook her head and went back to staring ahead. "No. Nothing's wrong."

But Yang must've gotten an idea. "You never saw me take a hit like that."

Blake hesitated in answering and nodded her head in this instance. "I suppose the fault is mine for not asking for clarification and assuming that I knew enough. I thought anger triggered your Semblance."

"Anger, any intense emotion like that involving passion, those can work. They're painful in their own way if you want to look at it like that but in a subtle, internal way. Subtlety's not my strong suit though."

"Nothing about that was subtle." Course, now that she discovered the true nature of her partner's Semblance, Blake was silently going over the subtleties. Such as why Yang's gauntlets didn't protect her hands, leaving them exposed for when she punched any manner of people, monsters, or – in this case – a giant, bipedal robot and taking what pain that such actions entailed with something even as minor as the heat and pressure of her gauntlets firing. In hindsight, it all made sense.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Yang said. "It's not like most other people's Semblances. You, Ruby, Weiss – yours are a bit more…is utility the word?"

Blake wasn't able to prevent a corner of her lip from rising. "I think I know what you're going for so yes."

"Right. You guys are able to make more use out of your Semblances. Mine? It's more for special occasions like that. I can't just use it whenever I want so it's why I never brought it up and why Ruby didn't involve it in any of our team planning." Yang patted Blake on the shoulder, looking apologetic. "Sorry I scared you."

"Not really scared, just…surprised."

She was surprised but not in the way that Yang was thinking. While Yang nudged experimentally at a stray piece of wreckage, the faunus stared at her partner for a little longer.

_She's not like you, Adam._

It was impossible to not make the comparison and remembering a time when another partner had defeated another such mech in nearly the same manner: taking the power of their attacks and turning it against them.

In that way they were perhaps the same, but they were different in one key factor. With Adam, she experienced too well the kind of emotions and ambitions that drove him. Thanks to their bond, she saw the wickedness that dwelled within his heart. When he had absorbed the energy beam from the spider droid and turned it against it, the power he attained was viewed as a tool for destruction and mass carnage, it and the fall of another of humanity's creations inciting his delusions to do the same to all who wronged him whether they be guilty or innocent.

It wasn't like that with Yang. Their bond was still fresh and new but she felt it keenly when Yang grabbed Gambol Shroud and what Aura that Blake had flowing through it had mixed with Yang's even with that small connection. She felt the full extent of Yang's power then, and it was tainted with anger, but it was…different. It didn't blind or control Yang, and it hadn't been so corrupting to spill over and attempt to influence Blake much like how Adam's had nearly done to her. The aggression, the hostility, it was there, but somehow Yang was able to manage it.

Controlled aggression was perhaps the best way to describe it. It existed but it didn't contaminate Yang's heart and soul with evil intentions, keeping her in control and using the amount of power that she deemed necessary. What power she used, she used in the defense of her friends and loved ones and nothing more.

What Blake knew to be fondness crept into her smile. Would this life ever cease to keep surprising her? Would Yang ever stop? All these things that contradicted everything she once knew and reinstating that hope that, yes, if things were different here, then maybe the world could really shape up to be different.

 _And the White Fang gave up on that,_ Blake admitted, Sun's words coming to mind. _I won't let them take this away._

Her cat ears stood to attention, catching the sound of sirens. Still at a distance away but how they were coming closer and growing louder told her of what had to be their intended destination. They'd have more than enough time to get clear long before they arrived as none of them wanted to be around to explain what happened. This was supposed to be a secret investigation.

"The police are coming," Blake informed and she saw Yang come to attention. "Ruby, Weiss, let's go."

"Can we take it with us?" Ruby begged, still clutching onto the arm.

Weiss flicked her forehead, causing her partner to cry out and hold her head, dropping her spoils. "No we can't take it with us!"

Suppressing a chuckle, Blake was about to head off, figuring that everyone would start getting up and leaving once she did, but came to a stop when she only took a couple steps, a sudden, distinct sense of alarm hitting her.

Danger? No, nothing like Roman having decided to come back or anything like that. No malicious intent being focused on her by another party. There was something wrong but – stiffening, Blake spun around.

Yang was standing where Blake last saw her but not as straight. The brawler swayed a little, appearing dazed with her gaze out of focus. Seeing it got Blake worried. "Yang?"

Her partner blinked upon hearing her name. "Oh." Shaking her head, a hand came up to rub against the side of it. "Sorry, guess it took a little more out of me than I thought. Happens sometimes if I'm not careful. Nothing to…"

Blake's eyes widened as Yang trailed off and she suddenly dropped, landing on her knees. "Yang!?"

Ruby and Weiss swung around, on alert.

Yang wobbled, staring at the ground with a _very_ far off look on her face. "You know what, Blake? That thing hits _really_ hard."

Then her eyes closed, collapsing fully with her name being torn from Blake's lip in a scream for the third time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don't know yet, the Paladin fight was supposed to go differently in the show. Neptune and Sun were supposed to fight with RWBY against the Paladin and it would've been Neptune, not Blake, who would've asked the question that would've led to the revelation of Yang's Semblance.


	6. Intermission

_The hill was the largest that she had to traverse but not by much, and she had cleared the others just as easily as she should with this one. However, during those instances before it had still been early on in her journey when her motivation, her body, and her energy had been fresh._

_The road - really, a dirt path rather than a road - had started off better as well. When she began, it had been as smooth as it could be with the boots of those who frequently traveled it having made up for what paving it lacked. The bumps were infrequent, the jostling at a minimum, and it hadn't been as punishing beneath her feet._

_Going further away from civilization - and help - where travel had become limited to non-existent, the pathway had deteriorated overtime with the changing seasons. To underline the scarcity of the living, leaf-stripped branches hung sinisterly over her, the haunting breath of the passing wind triggering grim creaking while the bony tips clawed at nothing. She shivered, both against the chilling display that touched on dark imaginations and the tangible but no less frigid contact that bit down on her weary and bruised form._

_The ground had also grown cold, becoming hard and unyielding. It had begun bruising her feet which were holding up better than her shoes, the heels of which having been worn down while the rest of it had become scruffed and torn, sporting holes at the front that made her toes visible. Their deplorable condition contributed to the pain of her ascent of the hill._

_She stubbornly pushed herself on while she pulled the wagon up with her. The wooden handle had been just as brutal. Between the weight of the wagon and its contents that she had been towing, every bounce and shake that the uneven path was responsible for caused added friction to her hands, forcing her to constantly switch. It hadn't saved them. They both throbbed with consistent pain, even the one that was hanging from her side. As for the other that currently gripped the handle, it was further abused with the torn and blistered skin rubbing against the wood._

_The muscles in her arm and in her legs, having been pounded with what had to be hours of exertion, threatened to give out on her. Stretched to what had to be the limit, her shoulder threatened to pop out of its socket with her legs trembling and ready to collapse in an instant._

_It was her footing that failed her._

_A high note of surprise came with the sudden slip, the blame to be placed on the path or her deteriorating shoes she wasn't sure as the shot of panic and instinct took over. She fell to a knee, her grip remaining tight on the wagon which tugged with the very real danger of a reversal; to pull and drag her all the way down the hill if she didn't let go. She refused to do so, not just because of the progress she would lose and have to redo but her fear for who was being carried in the rickety thing. Her free hand desperately scrabbled for what purchase she could find within the solid earth while the mounting pressure had her bending back precariously, on the verge of falling backwards._

_She obtained a firm grip, delaying but not yet saving her. Fueled by desperation, she managed to work through the pains of her body, pushing off the ground with her knee while her nails clawed for momentum. The last couple feet she needed passed by in a blurring mix of pain, fear, and adrenaline, the only signal she had to mark her success being when the weight that sought to drag her back abated as did her need to struggle. There was no sense of accomplishment, only the aches that plagued her when she deigned to give herself a break._

_She loosened her grip and, when she was sure she wasn't going to lose it, let go of the handle, wincing as it felt like the flesh of her palm was being peeled from it. She flexed her fingers, stretching them, and again came that blend of pain and relief from the action. A visual inspection revealed what she already felt: the cuts, the popped blisters, broken and dirty fingernails, and the warm mixture of blood and other fluids that offered temporary respite for her cold fingers until they too would freeze and become another hindrance._

_She turned her attention ahead, staring out at the path that continued on and her heart sank when not even the horizon was visible to her; obstructed by the jagged trees that the path cut through with no end._

_Sitting low in the middle of the cold and the wilderness, her body exhausted and sore, the determination that drove her this far was on the verge of failing._

_Should she give up?_

_The conviction that got her to take this course with the confidence that it was the right choice was being eaten away by the doubt that settled over her. Her desperate need for answers and the chance to return her family to normalcy, once so righteous, was appearing more and more foolish the further she went with no sign of coming any closer to her goal._

_She dared to look back and the idea of returning withered just as promptly when she witnessed the same arduous trip that she would have to take in order to go home._

_To return with nothing or to keep going with the chance to find the answers that she desired. At this point, it was not something as pure as hope but the prospect of the reward that she could receive as payment for this self-inflicted torture that influenced her decision._

_She grabbed the handle when it moved, afraid that it was rolling back, but that turned out not to be the case._

_"Yaya?"_

_She looked back to see the toddler having awoken from her nap within the nest of blankets that had been prepared for her. Beneath the red hood, half-lidded silver eyes looked tiredly at her._

_"Go back to sleep, Ruru," she quietly instructed, praying that the smile that she formed would distract her sister from the grime and contusions on her face. "Everything's going to be fine."_

_There was an incoherent mumble but, thankfully, the toddler complied and dropped back into the wagon, the recent shaking apparently having succeeded to pry her from her sleep but not enough to bring her to wakefulness. After devoting a minute to her sister as much as to herself, she pushed herself back up, ignoring the agony of her knee - the cloth over it torn from her pervious fall, blood welling up through the grit - and the complaints of her hand when she retrieved the wagon's handle._

Everything's going to be fine.

* * *

Yang woke up in a lethargy, gaining consciousness but little else. Her eyes were reluctant to open and her limbs felt heavy, making her wonder how or why she even accomplished in wakening. If not for an instinct to recollect the last few memories she could draw up, she might've let her eyes remain closed and then drift back off to sleep. As it was, as soon as she remembered the events that led her here, she forced her lids up in order to see where 'here' was. The familiar surroundings of her team's dorm room quelled any worries and she was able to piece together what happened.

_The Paladin. Jeez, that was a doozy.  
_

It had been a while since she pushed her Semblance that far. She was no stranger to some of the draining effects that could occur with its use; gathering and controlling that amount of power and then releasing it all with the use of her body could take a toll. Usually she was careful and would hardly be affected by it but the situation with Roman and his giant death bot had been the exception: taking that amount of damage so quickly, drawing equally massive amounts of energy from it, and the duration she remained in her supercharged state far exceeded what she was accustomed to. Having her natural supply of adrenaline and endorphins being cut off with the energy drainage was the cherry on top.

Lying on her stomach with her head happening to be turned to the window, she could see the daylight streaming through the curtains. Morning, although she predicted that it was probably later than that. Going by previous experiences and how exhausted she still was, she'd be out of it for most of the day - probably sleep right into the next when she decided to close her eyes again which would be soon.

Detecting something wrong with her surroundings kept her from doing that right away. _This isn't my bed._

She was too low, something she noticed when she checked the window. As to who's bed it was, seeing the stacked books on top of one of the posts clued her in. She guessed that getting her up on her own bed would've been too much of a chore and her teammates settled with placing her on Blake's. A tilt of her head and a long sniff at the pillow rewarded her with the familiar scent of jasmine and Yang couldn't help but quietly chuckle at the discovery.

A weight settled itself onto the mattress next to her. "Yang?"

The blonde was too accustomed to the quiet movements to be startled by them. "Morning, Blake." She tried to turn over to bring her partner and girlfriend into view. "Is it mor-?" She broke off with a hiss, small daggers jamming themselves into her from what had to be everywhere.

"Don't move," came the quick instruction. A hand was delicately placed on her shoulder to keep her still. "It's noon, actually, and nowhere near enough time for you to have recovered yet. Ruby told me about what you have to be going through."

Yang had quickly figured that out once the initial lance of pain died down, leaving her to feel like she was one giant bruise all over. Another consequence: a person's Semblance was tied to their Aura and what affected Yang physically did the same to her soul's energy and the benefits that came with it, including accelerated recovery. She settled herself back down. "Everyone okay?"

Blake's touch remained and she gently stroked along Yang's shoulder, daring to only do that much without running the risk of aggravating anything. "We made it out fine before the police could arrive. It was late by the time we got to Beacon so it wasn't hard to get you to the dorm without anyone spotting us."

Yang sighed and mumbled appreciatively, the light touch calming. She remembered everyone being fine before her collapse but it was good to make sure. "Sun and Neptune?"

"We didn't see them until this morning but we messaged them earlier to make sure they were okay."

That accounted for everyone but not everything as another worry came to mind. "My bike?"

"I took care of it."

" _You_ took care of it?"

She felt the suppressed humor vibrate through Blake's fingertips. "I'm a fast learner. Your bike's locked up, safe and sound. The only scratches it has are the ones that were already there."

"There shouldn't be any on her at all!" In spite of her exhaustion that made her voice groggy, Yang managed to conjure up a bit of shrillness. "What did you do?"

Blake's reply was patient but there was enough for Yang to know that, if she was looking at her, there would be a playful smirk on her face. "I didn't do anything. They were there when I got to her and I made sure to be careful. The drive to the garage was completely mech-free."

Yang just laid there, quietly fuming for a bit. "Full tank at least?"

"Full tank."

"Fine, I'll let it slide. Did you guys go over everything we found yet?"

"No. Lunch is about to start and I was checking up on you until Weiss and Ruby were done with their classes. We'll be going over everything then." As if predicting what Yang was about to say next, she added, "You're staying here."

Yang pouted even if the continued complaints of her body were already making a very convincing argument. "That's no fun."

"It wouldn't be fun even if you went. A lot of sitting around, talking, coming up with theories. Think of it as preparing a paper except we do all the work and you get the A without doing anything."

"Well when you put it like that it doesn't sound so bad."

"That's what I thought. Now hold still." Blake's hand drifted from Yang's shoulder, brushing her mane of hair off to the side before moving low and gripping the bottom of her top.

It was only then that Yang realized that she wasn't wearing the same clothes anymore and a quick look down showed that she was wearing her usual sleepwear. Any jokes that would center around who got the duty to change her or comments of Blake being so quick to bare so much of Yang's skin was interrupted with a pained gasp when the brawler felt the cloth brush along what had to be some hefty swelling of bruises. "How bad is it?"

Silence was her response but she could feel Blake's grip on her top, holding it in mid-raise where it stilled.

Yang attempted to turn her head but the curtain of curly locks blocked the faunus from view. "Blake?"

"About as bad as you'd expect it to be," came the steady response which said enough to Yang. She took pride in her durability but she was definitely feeling the results of last night and wouldn't be surprised if she did look as bad as she felt.

Blake pulled the clothing up the rest of the way and Yang gasped in a different way, fighting down a shudder at the cool gel that was applied to her back. Gripping Blake's pillow and pressing her face into softness, Yang used it to help stifle the winces and groans as her partner lathered her back with the cream, Blake taking care but the kneading earned sharp jabs of agony on what had to be particularly bruised areas which was often.

Yang's voice was slightly muffled when she made a suggestion. "Not that I can't take it, but what about throwing in some Aura with that?"

"It won't do anything about the exhaustion," Blake replied. "Besides, we never tried it before and I'm hesitant to do so now. Ruby and Weiss have an advantage over us after what they went through with establishing their bond. We'll work on it."

Another groan was Yang's response which turned into pleasant sighs once the applied gel began to work, the cooling sensation that followed more soothing and numbing the pain. Areas where Blake massaged hit sore rather than bruised muscles and encouraged a drawn-out moan, getting the faunus to halt, possibly out of embarrassment. Yang was barely aware of it, the combined sensations clouding her mind while the heaviness of her limbs had her sinking lower than before into the mattress.

Her top was pulled back down and even as consciousness was slipping on by, she managed to tease, "Want me to turn over?"

"I don't want you to move if you don't have to. I think you're good from here."

That she was, sleep ready to claim her. Blake taking that moment to stroke her hair helped but Yang tried to muster up the strength to say two words. Just two little words, but what came out was unintelligible and then she was out.

The stroking went on at her head, pausing only when Blake saw that her partner had drifted off. She bent down, trading her hand for her lips which placed a kiss within the ringed gold. Then she stood, staying and staring down at her sleeping girlfriend with an unreadable expression for another minute before turning to the door.

* * *

Weiss linked her scroll into a jack on the edge of the table and tapped a command into the device. Within the center, the projector came on and an image appeared hovering over the surface. _Just like one of my father's board meetings._

Weiss wasn't at the top floor of some towering, multi-level skyscraper that served as the headquarters to her father's company though. She was on the second floor of Beacon's library, the building as close to empty as it could be with the majority of students currently in the cafeteria having lunch. Naturally, it was the perfect setup for this briefing as that was really what this should be called. There were no board members or shareholders lined up at an expansive table either to discuss business politics; just two teammates who were only interested in stopping a threat against Vale.

It was the kingdom she brought up, the hologram of the world of Remnant ceasing its rotation when she highlighted the continent of Vytal. It was upon magnifying the eastern half of the continent and focusing on the modest patch of urban gray at the coast that she deemed her opening perfectly constructed. "According to the Schnee Company records, Vale has been the primary target for Dust robberies over the last few months."

She tapped another key, red dots imprinting themselves all over the city, a dozen which became dozens but falling well short of a hundred. Many were located deep within the city but there was a thick grouping along the coast with the line of docks while a limited number of strays went beyond the limits of the kingdom - railways that extended beyond it and connected it to outposts constructed to supply villages and even stretching all the way to Vacuo.

"Each dot represents a robbery that's occurred during that time whether it be a shop in downtown or a direct hit at offloaded cargo stored in the industrial district. Dates involving the shops are reliable for obvious reasons but I doubt that being the case for elsewhere. It could be days to even weeks before someone took notice of a container that may've gone missing from a mountain of others but whether small or large, each robbery is suspected to have occurred around midnight to the early morning hours. Either way, it's safe to assume they're all connected. With that in mind, I've calculated a rough estimate of the numbers: several tons and millions of Lien worth of crystals, vials, and rounds. An amount that's severely impacted the market with Dust prices having risen at a rate of seventy-eight percent or more in order to make up for the loss of merchandise.

Dust has many uses, all of it well-known to us. Rounds for firearms while vials of powdered Dust can be used to make additional rounds, cast spells, or to power whatever technologies that use it as an energy source. Crystals, being Dust's raw form, can accomplish the same thing whether in that state or by breaking it down. The added bonus of crystals is that, being the most stable, their elemental power can be safely mixed together to form other types of Dust. In conclusion, the question of why the White Fang would want this much of it answers itself as any of these uses would be suitable for them even if the amount is exceptionally large."

Setting her scroll aside, she laced her fingers together and set her sights on Blake. "A question that might be better to ask, then, is why the White Fang decided to put so much focus on Vale. They've had a presence here but nothing like what we've been seeing lately. For the past several years, their activities were centered within Atlas or so I believed."

She projected a bearing suitable of her upbringing and found it to be of little effort. Lessons of proper speech and posture came intuitively, keeping her back and shoulders straight, her tone clear and strong but, at the same time, dispassionate. Eye contact steady and when it shifted, it was to be done naturally. She had enough presentations and discussions with professors at Beacon that those skills hardly dulled.

There was added incentive here. Though among friends she's become accustomed to speaking freely and act herself, she couldn't do so here because of who was involved. She wanted to appear pragmatic, unbiased. She wanted to show that, in sticking to their agreement, she was willing to put everything behind them so that they may be able to work together.

Weiss did have another motive though. What she had right here was the chance to learn about those who had terrorized her family and murdered several of their associates. Go past the stereotypes and degradations that had created an image she carried since her childhood of senseless monsters. She had to begin thinking of them as not only as a dangerous but very intelligent enemy.

And what better way was there than to hear it from someone who was once a member of them?

Blake met her stare and Weiss was reassured when she didn't catch any signs of indignation from the faunus. "That much is true. Atlas had been the center of the White Fang's attention long before it changed tactics. With the headquarters for the various corporations that have implemented the practice of using faunus as cheap workers stationed within that kingdom in particular, their efforts were mainly focused there."

 _One of those corporations being Schnee Dust._ She didn't say it but she had to be thinking it. How she wasn't being confrontational encouraged Weiss.

"When the White Fang began conducting their attacks, that hadn''t changed. Members who didn't want to get involved fled and when word got around to those outside Atlas, they gathered there to join what they saw to be the main battleground. There were cells that were established elsewhere but I don't know of their activities; I guess either recruiting or making attacks of their own. As a whole though, I believe that Atlas was where the White Fang wanted to make their example to humanity."

"Show that even the most powerful human capital is vulnerable," Weiss deduced and Blake nodded.

"It did work for a while but that choice started to go against them later on in light of the military getting involved. The governing council declared a state of emergency and troops were deployed to reinforce the police and Hunters. Curfews were set in place, patrols increased, and roaming androids that were capable of identifying faunus that tried to hide or didn't possess obvious features gave them an edge. The White Fang was still fighting but their movements were slowed and travel restrictions limited the arrival of outside help due to the military being allowed to use such measures no matter how much it may inconvenience Atlas's citizens."

 _And you were surprised by this?_ It was Weiss's turn to stifle that. Blake was making an effort to separate herself from the White Fang, using words like 'they' instead of 'we', and Weiss wasn't going to let herself view her teammate as one of them anymore. _It's not like I had any control on my side of things._

She remembered when the kingdom-wide declaration of an emergency had been carried out, initiating what was essentially marshal law. Her family had more or less been immune to it but Weiss was still aware of the consequences that affected regular citizens.

Typically, it was a council of members elected by the public who did the governing - a system that had been adopted by each kingdom and remained in effect for years due to its popularity and perceived fairness after people witnessed for themselves of the tyranny of others. Any executive and legislative decisions were debated and voted on by the members, all with the best intentions for the citizens which they served. This included the use of the military.

In times of peace, the military held little to no power due to the absence of significant external threats and the security of the kingdoms being mainly the duty of policemen and Huntsmen. Even if war was to be made with the generals of the military branch being granted control over the armed forces that swelled in response, they were nonetheless restricted to how they commenced their battles while the council still held overall control of where they fought and who ran it as they were able to dismiss and promote their military leaders. No matter how intense the conflict, the military's authority was to never extend to what had always been the council's.

Atlas was proving to be the exception. Other than the military's fame and accomplishments made during the Great War and the council's intention to guard its reputation as the most powerful kingdom, there were the good Atlesians who were under siege by faunus radicals that were proving to be more than what the police could handle. Between that and Atlas's inadequate numbers when it came to its Huntsmen and Huntresses...

 _When all you have is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail,_ Weiss finished. Although the Atlesian Council remained in overall control officially, the ongoing conflict with the White Fang and the military's growing number of successes was giving those generals more and more leverage over the politicians thanks to the positive public reception, including implementing what was termed 'relocation centers' to further separate faunus and human populations.

"Um…" Both Blake and Weiss turned to find Ruby raising her hand awkwardly as if she was signaling a professor's attention while in class. When she got her teammates' attention, she grinned sheepishly. "So do you think they came to Vale because they thought it would be easier?"

Unlike Blake and Weiss, she had been sitting and fidgeting quietly and appeared almost ashamed with how simple her question was after hearing the kind of dialogue exchanged between them. Weiss allowed a break in her demeanor, a corner of her lip curving up to show some support.

"That would be one reason, I suppose," Blake allowed, her own features softening in response to the youngest member. "I don't know what the thinking was behind the decision and, to be quite honest, I didn't know that our leader was going to invest so much into Vale. When I was assigned my first real mission within Vale's vicinity, I was surprised at where I was going. Shortly when it started, I left as I already decided to leave the White Fang at that point. During my months here and not noticing any major developments, I thought nothing of it until recently."

Weiss had to conduct a small internal war with herself to prevent any uncomfortable questions being asked, such as what Blake's mission was. It was a line of inquiry that she's had to constantly separate herself from despite the temptation of finding out just what Blake had done during her service with the White Fang. She may've been a child when it all began, probably spent her time training just as Weiss had done to prepare for participation, but to have been with them for so long and to have done nothing…

 _It doesn't matter,_ she told herself as she had the times before. _No more dwelling on the past. Besides, it's not like Blake's the only who has secret intentions that she's given up and wants left alone._ "I think the lack of a standing army is only one reason why the White Fang would find Vale as a second-best target."

Weiss repossessed her scroll, dexterous fingers playing over the surface. The hologram zoomed out from Vale but kept Vytal and the capital present. Up north, another continent of vast difference appeared. Instead of greens and browns, there was nothing but the whiteness of the frozen tundra that encompassed nearly all of Mantle. Only one spec of territory was spared: the southernmost tip. Its location was just far enough away from the northern pole that the conditions were deemed as suitable for human occupation. The Dust that could be mined made that a certainty with one kingdom having been constructed within that meager space that also happened to be Weiss's home kingdom.

Atlas.

"Vale and Atlas have benefited the most from each other. While not having the largest military or Dust storages, Vale is the most populous. Temperate environment unlike Atlas or Vacuo, and its territory is far larger than Mistral's. It possesses all of the right advantages and its close proximity makes it a very favored customer of Atlas."

Weiss traced her fingertip down her screen, creating a path that the hologram presented as a nearly straight yellow line between the two kingdoms. "Had the White Fang held any extreme views of Vale before, Blake?"

The faunus in question stared at the image, lost in recollection. "Its members had always put blame on the kingdoms for their trade with Atlas, seeing it as encouragement for the business practices of the companies. Vale was the one that got most of it."

"Being further away from Atlas must've made Mistral and Vacuo less convenient targets."

"The White Fang's influence had always been the weakest there."

Nodding, Weiss tapped her nail against her scroll at the trade route. "It's more than cargo that passes between ships. News, gossip, and anti-faunus or human sentiments. While Atlas sees Vale as a consumer, others may see it as a refuge or staging area. Refugees – humans and faunus – coming here and spreading their own beliefs, taking what racial tension that already exists and then multiplying it. While the war escalates in Atlas, relations in Vale are further strained in response."

Blake maintained staring at the image, the frown becoming heavier as Weiss went on. "Making it suitable for the White Fang to recruit and prepare."

"For what?" Ruby inquired.

"That's what we need to find out." Erasing all the marks she made thus far on the hologram, Weiss again zoomed out to have all of Remnant rotating between them again. "For the sake of argument, let's say that the White Fang does intend to wipe out humanity and that all these preparations are for an attack on Vale. What would be the results?"

Mistral, Vacuo, Vale, and Atlas. Each capital sprung up, each marked by a bright pinpoint of light. With another tap of her finger, Weiss snuffed out the one that was Vale.

"Humanity loses more than one city. It also loses one half of its most developed and occupied continent. If Vale was to go, the villages and other settlements that depend on it for protection and supplies may disappear overtime. A similar effect would happen globally: Atlas would lose a valuable trading partner, and without a friendly port in between them, the other kingdoms would become isolated with trade routes being stretched. I suspect that the loss of Vale's CCT would be just as devastating to communications."

Leaving the holographic representation of such a worst-case scenario to float amongst them, Weiss chose her next words as a fitting, dramatic punch. "Vale isn't just the White Fang's secondary target. At this point, it's their _best_ target; achieving everything they want and more."

She got the desired results. Blake's expression broadcasted the direness of the situation while Ruby was looking at the rotating Remnant with wide eyes as she sought to picture the world as Weiss predicted. Though Vale wasn't her birthplace, Patch would be one of the first places that would be hit by the repercussions of such a potential future.

"I know the White Fang better than anyone and have seen for myself what it's become," Blake spoke gravely. "What you've said is something that I've never wanted to fully believe but after going to the rally last night…this is exactly what they would want and what they're probably preparing for." She slumped in her seat, appearing deflated by the legitimacy of what her group desired. "This matches the kind of chaos that our leader and others of the high echelon of the Fang would love."

And Blake was committed to stop it. Weiss was certain of that. _Unfortunately, we're not done yet._ "There's just one complication to all of this."

"Roman Torchwick." Blake all but spat that name out.

"If this was just a straightforward plot to gain faunus supremacy over Remnant, we could've considered him as a crook looking to cash in on the situation even if his customers would be more than willing to kill him too. But other than Ruby having seen him stealing Dust months before without assistance from the White Fang, there's also what you heard him say at the rally."

"He has an employer."

"Someone who either has connection or is actually in Atlas capable of transporting high-tech – not to mention _secret_ – military hardware across the ocean and putting them into the hands of terrorists."

"I saw General Ironwood giving a presentation about the Paladin in Vale," Ruby supplied, happy to contribute. "He said that it wasn't supposed to be ready until within a year and that he didn't have any to show with the AK-200s."

"Yet Roman managed to acquire one that was fully armed and operational," Weiss said.

"With a promise to get more," Blake grimly added.

"So we have to assume that there's someone in Atlas – someone very high up, whether they be this employer or not – who's able to do all of that with Ironwood or any of the military brass being none the wiser."

A feat that would normally be impossible. Something as closely-guarded as an advanced battle suit wasn't something one just picked out of a lot and run off with with no one noticing. There was storing it until it was ready to ship, loading it onto a boat or airship when it was ready, transporting it, and then unloading it once it reached its destination. It would be exchanged between numerous hands and even if someone greased them well enough, there was always the risk of an average dockworker or desk-based accountant noticing something wrong whether by appearances or numbers.

 _That's not something any one person can do,_ Weiss thought. _And you would need people on both sides to pull that off: in Atlas_ and _Vale._ Leaning back in her chair with arms crossed, the Schnee heiress tried to come up with some theories and immediately found herself going from one to the next, each getting crazier than the last. It wasn't just about who would do it or how they would do it, but also _why_ would they do it.

_Even if it's the White Fang that's getting them, it'd be impossible to be done with faunus influence. The kind of rank or position one would need to get so much as information regarding something like that is unattainable to a faunus – at least in Atlas. So it has to be a human. Someone with a lot of pull in the military and if they're that prominent then they could have their own private transport lines. Maybe docks to go with it._

But why would someone do that? Especially a human in Atlas when every single one of them is considered an enemy to the White Fang and having been the victims of their murder sprees for the past five years. It couldn't be something as simple as money. Not anymore.

 _Could they..._ want _the White Fang to be able to fight a war against Vale?_ A ridiculous notion. It was the only thing that Weiss could think of but that didn't mean it made any sense when she thought about it.

"So they have something going on in the southeast," Ruby began attempting to sum up their briefing, hand rubbing cutely along her chin. "Whatever it is, it involves a lot of Dust that they've been stealing, mechs that Torchwick has been getting from someone that we don't know, and we can assume that that something is an attack on Vale."

Weiss bobbed her head in acknowledgement. "Sounds about right."

Blake swept her gaze over to Ruby and Weiss, waiting for them to say something. When they didn't, she asked, "So what do we do now?"

Weiss breathed out a long breath, eyes turning up to the ceiling of the library while a finger tapped at her arm in thought. What were they to do? Taking into consideration of what they knew for sure and how they would be able to act on it, there was only one thing that they could do. "Right now…nothing."

She may as well have grown a second head with how Blake looked at her. "Excuse me?"

"We can't do anything right now," Weiss repeated. "There's only one positive lead that we can pursue and that's in the southeast, meaning that we have to go outside the walls of Vale and investigate. We can't exactly go out there whenever we want and if the White Fang does have a hideout somewhere, you can bet it's hidden from not only us but any Grimm wandering around the area. Searching for it and fighting off said Grimm while we do so will take more than a night on the town and people _will_ notice."

"You can't possibly be saying we should wait!"

Weiss frowned at her darker teammate. "We used up every resource that we have at our disposal unless you're saying that you want to try sneaking into another White Fang meeting. After what happened, they'll be more careful and if you do try and sneak into one – _if_ they decide to have one like that again - they'll probably be looking out for you specifically. Likewise, me trying to contact my company again is out of the question. They were already uneasy about the records they gave me and to call them again so soon to ask for information even more sensitive than that would draw too much suspicion."

Blake stood up from her chair, gripping the edge of the table as she stared down Weiss. "You were the one that just went over what the White Fang could be planning and what it may mean for Vale and possibly the entire world. There has to be something else we can do or uncover!"

Weiss matched her stare, about to say something, but a figure of red-and-black dived between them, sprawling herself on the table and disrupting not only their argument but the floating hologram of Remnant that became a static-ridden mess as the projector tried and failed to compensate for the obstruction.

"We can still do something!" Ruby exclaimed, holding a palm out to each of her subordinates to quiet them. "All the first-years will be able to choose and go on their first mission soon! All we have to do is select a mission within the southeast and we'll be able to investigate as much as we want! Right?" Her head whipped to each of them, appearing a bit frantic to prevent any more bickering. "Right?"

Her partner's shenanigans alone were enough to get Weiss to sit back in her chair as did the sensibility of the plan. "Right, exactly. By doing that, no one will question us going outside Vale as we'll have a perfectly legitimate excuse."

Though Blake had loosened her grip on the table, she stayed standing and remained unhappy. "That's nearly a week away. Do you think the White Fang is going to sit around and wait until then? What if they decide to start with their plan before then?"

A valid concern and one that Weiss shared, nodding slowly. "They could, but I don't think they will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not but I think there's a reason to believe that they won't. For one, they're conducting themselves very differently than they did in Atlas. With all the thefts they've made in Vale, not once had they gone public or taken credit for any of them. Until we came in, no one knew that they were involved. They want to keep a low profile. If I had to guess, it's because they don't want a repeat of Atlas. When they do decide to strike, they want to be well prepared for it."

Blake's silence and how she was quietly analyzing the theory made Weiss feel safe to go on. "They're recruiting, stockpiling on Dust and weapons, and then delivering them all to the southeast. That'll take time and with our interference last night they may be working slower and more cautiously to keep their heads down. And, as violent as they may be, they do seem to have a sense for the theatrics. Just like how they wanted to show their power by attacking Atlas, if they decide to do so with Vale they want to make a big show out of it. I can think of only one event that's taking place here that'll have the desired effect."

"The Vytal Festival."

"Which is even further away. Whether they decide to do it in the middle of the festival or the start of it, either way they'll have to wait several days until after our mission is over."

"We can prepare until then," Ruby chimed in. "Yang still needs some rest before she's all better and we can spend the time training and getting stronger."

Something flashed across Blake's face at the mention of Yang's name but it was there and gone before even Weiss could identify what it was. The faunus pushed herself from the table to straighten, her jaw set as she looked at the two of them. "Then I guess that means we're all done here."

"For now," Weiss admitted with the thought that offering that much would placate her, if only a little. Whether it did any good or not she didn't know with how rigid Blake's steps and body were when she stepped away from the table and left, disappearing down the flight of steps to the ground floor of the library. She and Ruby watched her go with the latter being the first to make a move, sliding off the table and back into her seat. Weiss unhooked her scroll from the holoprojector and turned both off.

"That went…well," Ruby offered.

Weiss turned enough away from her to hide the small smile that came up while she pocketed her scroll. "You think?"

"I mean I haven't done this before but we managed to come up with some stuff, right?"

"More questions than answers though," Weiss replied. "We have our next step planned but when it comes to figuring out the overall situation there's a lot we don't know."

Ruby shrugged in turn and Weiss was taken aback to see her staring at her with a satisfied smile. "It was still nice to see you and Blake working together like that."

"Well…we were able to keep it civil. I did say that I didn't hate her and that we could work together. With how we've been acting since then...we've still got some rough spots but I do feel better about our situation considering what's involved."

"You guys were really cool - especially you! The hologram and the reports and all the other real official-like stuff! It was awesome to see you working like that!"

Weiss found her gaze straying, unwilling to look Ruby in the eye and felt an uncomfortable stirring of embarrassment at her partner's praise. It was different from the 'good jobs' of her professors and the high scores of her test papers or, before that, the compliments of her trainers and tutors hired to teach at the Schnee estate. Such things had always felt more impersonal; like it was expected to not only hear it from them but her efforts as a whole were expected with the results holding nothing special. It was always different with Ruby, to not only hear but sense the admiration that the younger girl held for something that just seemed natural and nothing exceptional.

"It was nothing..." Weiss murmured almost inaudibly.

"It was really professional!" Ruby said with that radiant smile that always seemed so bright. It was why it surprised Weiss when it suddenly dimmed. "I don't think I could ever do something like that." Lowering her gaze to her lap, that discomfort that she exuded during the briefing came back. "Seeing you like that - not only for here but other times too -...sometimes I think that maybe you should've been the leader of team RWBY instead of me."

If this had been back during the beginning of their first semester, Weiss knew what she would've said. She would've not only agreed with Ruby but tried to convince her to step down from her position and get Ozpin to make it official. During then she had been offended, even angry, that she got passed over by someone who she thought to be her inferior in every way and she had tried to get her professors to see that to no avail.

Since then, she not only learned to settle in her position but see why it was that Ruby deserved to be leader. So, with a shake of her head, she said, "Don't ever think that, Ruby. It was you that was picked, not me, and I'm sure our professors know more about what makes a good Huntress than either of us."

"Yeah, I know, but...I do think back to what you said before and I can't help but wonder that maybe you were right. I mean...I'm just Ruby and you're Weiss Schnee. Ozpin did let me attend early and I really really appreciated it but I never thought of myself as anything special. If I hadn't been there to stop Torchwick and his men, I'd probably still be back at Signal with everyone else and waiting until I completed there before enrolling into Beacon. I just wanted to be a hero and fight monsters - I didn't even care about being a leader."

Appearing more dejected as she went on, Ruby finished, "Maybe it really was just all about being lucky."

Weiss knew that Ruby hadn't meant to but she nonetheless felt a bit of shame with the knowledge that she was partly responsible for this doubt that was hanging over her partner. She wished she could take everything that she had said back but, alas, that was another mistake that she made that she now saw she needed to work hard to make up for.

"It's not luck," she stated and was relieved to see Ruby lift her chin up. "I said that you'll make a great leader one day and I meant it. It's only our first year and I doubt you were expected to take on something like this so soon. Blake and I just happen to have a certain interest in this subject and this just now..." She gestured to the inert projector. "This was just something that happened to be related to what I was taught. I looked at the White Fang as I would a business venture; their interests, what their ultimate goal is, how they would achieve it, things like that. That's something anyone can learn given time.

What can't be taught is what you've done with this team. We all work together so well because of you despite our differing backgrounds. Yang's your sister so that's a given but you have Blake and I who are as different as can be yet we can fight or sit and plan together despite everything between us. We trust you and are willing to be led by you because of how you see us as equals." She smiled genuinely. "I only agreed to this craziness and all the other plans you've come up with because I trust you that much."

"Weiss..." Ruby was fidgeting with a lowered head but in a very different way. Her face had begun to better match her color scheme, cheeks so enflamed that it was hard to differentiate between them and the red tips of her bangs that hung over them.

 _Payback_ , Weiss thought ruefully for all the times Ruby would get her embarrassed although her every word had been sincere.

She had thought of what RWBY would be like if she had been leader. Other than perhaps calling it WRBY, Weiss knew she would've remained as...difficult as she had been when she first met them. Maybe Ruby and the others could've still managed to draw her out from behind her icy walls but with her added authority she would've felt justified to be as strict and uncompromising as she needed to be. No bunk beds, would've kept social outings to a minimum, demand everything and more out of her teammates which would frustrate everyone - her for setting her standards too high, them for being unwilling to meet them.

_And if we found out about Blake during then..._

It continued to cause her pain and time had yet to prove to be a good healer. From when she decided to apply to Beacon to Blake, everything here had been a means to an end. A farce that she was willing to drop at any point that she would deem as convenient. And finding out about Blake's heritage and her ties to the Fang...Weiss had been on the verge of giving it all up.

_Ruby saved this team. If I had been leader, I would've torn it apart._

It was because of Ruby that the team remained intact. She stood up to Weiss and got her to search for Blake with her and Yang. It was only because of the cracks she made in the heiress's armor and their friendship that got Weiss to see sense and turn away from the path of damnation that she had been too willing to follow. And after she had been injured, it was for her sake that Weiss and Blake both managed overcome their harsh childhoods thanks to generations of racial prejudice in order to see each other as friends.

 _I'll make a leader out of you yet, Ruby._ It was the least Weiss could do and she didn't miss how that was exactly what Pyrrha had said to her. A team required the efforts to be made by all of its members. She'll support Ruby and make her a better leader and, in extension, make their team better in order for them to triumph over whatever may be sent their way next.

A crinkling sound caught Weiss's attention, the culprit being a package that Ruby had pulled out from beneath her cloak. She knew what it was before she even read the label. "You brought food into the library!?"

"Well, yeah!" Ruby said, not so much as pausing as she opened the package. "I brought them just in case and it's a good thing I did! We're not going to have enough time to go to the cafeteria to get something to eat."

"Cookies don't count as a lunch!"

Ruby swiveled her head around with a cheeky grin. "I don't see any other food around here." She took out one cookie and held it out to Weiss. "Come on; it has birthday cake filling~"

Weiss wrinkled her nose, having thought it was just a normal chocolate chip cookie - it looked like one anyway - until she heard that. "How is that a thing?"

Ruby leaned over the table in order to hold it further out to Weiss and waved it playfully in front of her. "Only one way to find out~"

Weiss angled her head around the deceptive sweet in order to show Ruby how her eyes were narrowed severely. Then, with a sigh, she took it. "Dolt."

* * *

 _They_ may be done but that didn't mean Blake was. _That can't be all we can do._

It was that thought that got her to procure a terminal for herself in order to do her own investigating. It seemed so inadequate compared to going out into the city and searching as she had done previously but she had to relent to Weiss's logic that the White Fang would be prepared for another infiltration and any future attempts would not only prove fruitless if they had chosen to cease any more extravagant meetings but dangerous if they were and her face was one they were sure to familiarize themselves with.

It was why she was reduced to bringing up news articles in order to find any scrap of intel that could point her to the White Fang. She had done so before and a few of the articles - those of robberies made by 'unknown persons' - she recognized as having perused through previously but she was expanding her criteria. Any disturbance, big or small, that had been put aside as ordinary but could, in her mind, actually hold some kind of hint to the White Fang and their movements.

There were still questions that needed answers. What were the White Fang doing while they waited for their chance to strike? How were they getting their resources to the southeast? Where in the southeast could they be? How was such an attack on Vale, as that was clearly what they had to be preparing for, be conducted? They couldn't just be sitting around and doing nothing - they never had before.

Despite that, it seemed that that was what they were doing. There weren't any new reports of a Dust robbery having been made since the last time she checked. There was, however, one article that had her staring hauntingly at the title.

_[Highway Pileup Involving Dozens]_

Blake couldn't recall passing her finger over the title but a moment later she was reading through the paragraphs that made up the article and she had to check the date and the exact highway that was being featured in the article to be sure that it was the one she was thinking of.

It was, but the story wasn't how she remembered it. For one, there was no mention of Torchwick or a battlesuit with White Fang markings. What was reported instead was a 'power lifter' that malfunctioned while in transit to Vale's industrial district, disrupting traffic and leading to the pileup of dozens of vehicles - fifty or more. No fatalities had been reported yet but Highway Patrol did say that 'multiple injuries were confirmed, several serious'. It was too early for an accurate number for such a thing but it didn't stop Blake from thinking of a different explanation for it.

 _Keep the body count as vague as possible._ It was a strategy that Blake knew well. She wasn't sure if Valeans were always so prepared to put their own spin on such things but she knew that the Atlesian government became experts at it with the White Fang. Whenever there was a bombing or a shooting or any kind of attack of such nature, the casualties were always a number that was portrayed as inconclusive to diminish any sense of success.

The Fang did the same whenever there was ever a raid on a hideout. If they could, they would retrieve and hide the bodies - theirs mostly, but any Atlesian soldiers or police involved may also vanish. Not knowing was always worse than knowing and though the authorities may see it as a victory, they'd never know how badly they hurt the faunus if at all.

Blake read through the rest of the article and found something else that was missing: no mention of any kind of RWBY or the members of SSSN that were with them.

That was all that the night was being written up as: an accident caused by a runaway lifter and nothing else. It just made everything worse, the weight growing heavier and heavier upon Blake's shoulders as she wondered how many other such incidents had occurred and been written off as nothing. Certainly not a sign of a growing army of terrorists plotting to bring down the kingdom and cause as much mayhem as they could.

Closing out of the article, the faunus typed in another search. If the White Fang were keeping their actions a secret and VNN was making out anything that got into public eye as nothing serious - whether on purpose or not - then who knew how many clues were hidden within these news reports that could help point her in the right direction to another piece of their plans.

There came a bell chime, signaling the beginning of another class. Blake was deaf to it, skimming through the latest results and finding another candidate far sooner than she expected.

_[White Fang Ties Suspected Of Murdered Store Owner]_

It wasn't as recent as RWBY's battle on the highway but Blake didn't remember seeing this the last time she checked. She double-tapped the title.

According to this one, the faunus store owner of _Tukson's Book Trade_ had been found murdered by a customer who regularly made purchases there. Only recently had the police chosen to reveal that the owner - Tukson - had been suspected of being a member of the White Fang going by the evidence found at his residence which was later confirmed by a source who wished to remain anonymous. There was an image of one such piece of evidence and Blake's breath caught in her throat upon seeing it.

It was slightly worn but it was unmistakably a miniature version of the original White Fang flag with the blue background and white wolf head.

Blake wracked her brain, trying to think if she ever heard the name Tukson before but came up empty. To possess that flag though, he had to have been a member for longer than five years. She checked the rest of the article for answers and, finding none, pulled up the initial report of the man's death and any others that mentioned him. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything that could tell her who Tukson's killer was...such as the White Fang itself.

Blake tabbed back to where she left the image of the original flag open. It was just as she remembered it, the doodle she drew in her notebook based on her memories an exact match.

 _It's gone_ , she thought _. It's gone and there's no going back. Sun was right: there's no hope for any of this anymore._

With how this symbol of peace had transformed, Blake couldn't see how it could ever go back. It was irredeemable, something that she accepted at the docks. But the rally enlightened her to something else: it was not only irredeemable but corrupting. She was ashamed to admit it but she could still feel the lure of it; the temptation that even she wasn't immune to after experiencing for herself what the White Fang was all about now.

It needed to be stopped. It needed to be brought to an end. The longer the White Fang existed, the longer it was allowed to remain, the more others would be drawn to it. If it wasn't stopped, there would only be more pain. More lives that would be lost. Another kingdom that would be changed for the worst by the violence.

Ruby's life had nearly been lost and now Yang had been hurt with Vale being threatened with conflict. Blake buried her face into her hands, fingers rubbing away at the itchiness of her eyes, and saw the map of black and blue bruising that was her partner's back.

She couldn't wait. She wasn't going to sit back until it was convenient. If she woke up one day to find another tragedy having taken place and it was something that she could've prevented...

She only gave herself a few seconds of respite. After that, she removed her hands from her face and returned them to the keyboard while her attention went to the screen. As the saying went, there was no rest for the wicked.

* * *

When Yang awoke again, she didn't feel an overwhelming desire to close her eyes as soon as she opened them so she considered that as a good sign. Like before, the window was the first thing she saw and it was daylight that she witnessed coming through the curtains and glass. She did feel stiff and she stretched where she lay, making the typical noises one would make when their tight muscles were allowed to flex after so long.

There was no pain which she labeled as another plus although she felt a degree of soreness at certain parts of her body. Nothing serious and she was confident to sit up, swinging and stretching her legs over the side while she lifted her arms as high as they could go before she touched the mattress above her head, arching her back to complete the stretch and sighing in relief.

She reached around and touched what of her back that she could, expecting and finding no signs of any of the bruising that had been there before. She could feel her Aura having been recharged and it hadn't wasted any time in healing her injuries. To make sure, Yang shifted her attention to her front, lifting her top from over enough of her stomach to see her healthy, peach-colored skin.

"Ahem!"

Yang jerked her head up to find Weiss with her fist to her mouth to better imitate the forced clearing of her throat. Her eyes were closed and there was a faint dusting of pink on her cheeks. Next to her, Ruby was holding a tray and taking an interest in the ceiling.

"Sorry," Yang apologized, grinning sheepishly and letting her top settle back down. "It's safe now. How long was I out?"

"You slept through the rest of yesterday," Weiss informed, having waited an extra second before daring to bring Yan back into sight. "It's morning."

"We brought you breakfast!" Ruby said, stepping forward with the tray.

Yang could smell it and her stomach growled hungrily. Calories were something else that her Semblance burned up along with her energy and she would typically be left with a voracious appetite after its use. Ruby made sure to come prepared: the tray full of plates topped with piles of eggs, bacon, sausages, and a couple rolls.

"I can always count on you, sis." Putting it on her lap, Yang wasted no time in scooping up a bunch of everything and slapping it on a roll to take a huge bite out of. She chewed only a little before swallowing it all down and going in for another bite, most of the sandwich having already disappeared while bits of food dropped from her mouth. "Sho vat I miff?"

Weiss frowned at her and shot Ruby a look of disproval when the younger girl giggled. "I can see where Ruby gets her table manners."

"Sorry," Yang apologized once she forced down her second bite but wasn't really sorry.

It did little to appease Weiss, the princess's frown growing deeper and more disgusted when, instead of repeating herself, Yang stuffed what was left of her sandwich into her mouth and wiped her hand on her clothes. "At least use the napkins!"

Yang ignored her, grabbing the glass of orange juice that was with the food and taking several needy gulps. Weiss threw her hands up in surrender when a line of it dripped from Yang's chin which she once again wiped with the back of her hand. "So what did I miss? Don't worry, I can listen while eating."

"Since you proved that you can't talk while eating," Weiss shot back but complied. While Yang ate, going slower and using the provided knife and fork to make the Ice Queen feel better, Weiss went over what she, Ruby, and Blake had discovered and talked about while she had been out: Vale's popularity when it came to Dust robberies, Roman and his mysterious employer, and a hideout in the southeast.

"We were hoping that you may've found out anything from your friend," Ruby spoke once Weiss was finished. "Otherwise, that's really all we have."

Yang used the draining of the rest of her juice as an excuse to bide time in answering. After setting aside the glass and the tray, she gave a helpless shrug. "I didn't really find out as much as I wanted to. My friend wasn't that big of a help. He mentioned that a lot of his criminal associates have vanished or turned up dead and that there's been a lot of weird things going on like cargo disappearing from boats and airships traveling around that shouldn't. Other than that..."

She thought of the raven woman that Junior mentioned with the red eyes and feathered hair. White Fang or not White Fang, Huntress or not a Huntress. Involved or not at all.

"Other than that...?" Weiss coaxed.

Yang shook her head. "Nothing." For now, she'll keep that information to herself unless it proved to be a concern. Right now, there was really nothing concrete to link this mystery woman with everything else that was going on and there was no need for her teammates to be chasing at what may end up be what she said to Junior: a product of some Grimmdark story.

Lacking it may be, Weiss nonetheless pondered over the information. "It may give us an idea of how Roman is getting those weapons into Vale and sending them to their hideout. If he went to your friend before to ask for men, he could've gone to some other criminals for other services."

"Like unloading ships in secret and sending the cargo to wherever he needs them."

"Right, and then being killed when they're no longer useful."

"And that leaves us with...?" Ruby asked.

Weiss sighed. "Nothing that we can go on without specifics."

At the heiress's quiet questioning for just that, Yang turned her empty palms up while silently cursing Junior's misleading reputation. "Sorry, but that's all I was able to get."

"Well we did come up with something that can be considered as a plan of action. We're going to be able to select our first mission soon and we'll just choose one that's in the southeast."

Yang winced, remembering when that was. "That's a bit of a wait though."

"I think we can all use a bit of a break," Weiss reasoned. "We'll use the time to rest up and get everything in order for when we head out. Besides, I have something to keep us busy."

"What's that?"

A smile slowly spread across Weiss's face. "Goodwitch came to me yesterday and asked for a favor. There's a school-wide dance taking place on the weekend before our mission and she asked if any of us would like to help plan it out. Team CFVY was originally supposed to do it but they got called for an away mission and their last transmission that they sent to the school said that their mission might take longer than expected."

That got Yang a little worried. "They okay?"

"Goodwitch said that there was nothing to worry about and they didn't seem to be in any danger."

"Besides, it's CFVY!" Ruby exclaimed, tone full of admiration for one of the more veteran and reputable of Beacon's Hunter teams. "They always get their missions done with fabulous style!" She jutted out one hip, placing a hand against it while she brought the fingers of the other up to hook them onto imaginary glasses in an attempt to copy a trademark of CFVY's leader. "They're a bad dream, rad scene, and a tad mean~"

"Anyway," Weiss cut in before Ruby could gush any further. "I told Goodwitch that you and I would be up for it. We can plan it all out and make sure we have some fun and relaxation before our mission. Would that be acceptable?"

Yang thought it over although she already knew what her stance would be. A chance to plan out a kickass dance for all of Beacon? She remembered her graduation dance at Signal and imagined how something like that could've used a couple fog machines to really spice things up. "Acceptable doesn't even begin to describe what we're going to turn it into!"

"Yes, we should probably go over just what you think we _should_ do and what we'll _actually_ do."

Ignoring the jibe, Yang looked around the dorm room, only now realizing that there was someone missing. "Did you ask Blake? What did she think about it?"

How none of the joy was present in the glance that Weiss and Ruby sent to each other told Yang that there was something wrong and her good mood quickly followed.

"That's...something else we need to talk to you about," Ruby hesitantly said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Between inventory at my day job and intending to put in some overtime at my night job next week, the next chapter may take a while. I do intend to write through both Extracurricular and Burning the Candle with the next chapter but there will still be new and original material. The Jaune part of the Jaune/Weiss/Neptune triangle, for one, I'm cutting out entirely. Blake and Yang's serious talk will be more or less the same but there will be plenty of extra content to make it a lengthy chapter that I hope will make up for the delay such as a focus on Weiss and Ruby and how they prepare for the dance.
> 
> Shout-out to Tear of Light and her fic over at ff.net In a Land Far, Far Away. Its a collection of oneshots with many of them featuring bitty team RWBY and the diabetes-inducing cuteness that is the result such as bitty Ruby and bitty Yang's nicknames for each other: Yaya and Ruru.


	7. Burning The Extracurricular

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo, a late but long chapter. Ran into a series a moderately stressful setbacks irl and I just needed a long break to myself to deal with them and get myself situated. Hope to be getting right back on track with this now although I can't promise my updates will be regular in light of recent events.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Pyrrha Nikos had a talent for being graceful no matter what she did. This included wiping the floor of the sparring arena with team CRDL.

It was always a spectacle to watch the 'Invincible Girl' live up to her reputation and this would probably be the only time that Yang would have to thank Cardin for agreeing to pit his whole team against her. As for Pyrrha, the usually friendly warrioress had been the one to suggest it as, originally, it was to be her against the big leader before she - a little too innocently - proposed to Goodwitch the idea of letting his teammates assist him in their sparring match.

Now Yang wouldn't usually think that Pyrrha was capable of holding a grudge but she couldn't help but wonder if the redhead was being influenced by some leftover aggression that she had towards CRDL as a whole for when they tormented Jaune at the beginning of first semester. During then, she had been forced to stand back and watch and Yang knew it had both pained and frustrated her during the time until the matter was settled. Something told the blonde that maybe Pyrrha hadn't put that completely behind her.

Whatever her intentions may be - actual or not -, Goodwitch had deigned it as acceptable and the bleachers gave Yang the perfect view of how Pyrrha moved through the attacking members of CRDL with such ease and skill that that could only be accomplished by the top graduate of Sanctum and champion of Mistral.

Whether as a rifle, sword, or javelin, Pyrrha could rapidly switch through Milo's functions back and forth, using each to their full effectiveness. She perfectly demonstrated that against Sky Lark, her javelin matching the length of his halberd but its speed put him on the defensive as she expertly spun it around with one hand, striking with shaft and tip. In the midst of her flurry, Milo transformed into a rifle, fired a shot that Sky blocked but left him open when it switched back to javelin and the next time it fired it was out from the bottom to give it the added power to Pyrrha's thrust that drove him back.

Akouo was just as much a weapon as it was a shield. Its durability that could withstand the mightiest of swings of Cardin's mace served just as well when the circular shield was thrown like a frisbee, impacting and then bouncing off Cardin's head to do the same to Sky and knocking both students down.

In Pyrrha's hands, Milo and Akouo never appeared as separate entites; more like two halves of a whole. Though a given of the sword-and-shield combo, when Pyrrha used them it was something miraculous. With Dove slashing with his short sword and Russel attacking with his daggers, Pyrrha blocked and parried each blow flawlessly with her weapons, not one getting through despite the impressive coordination of the two teammates. Upon gaining some distance, her shield was used as a brace for her rifle to provide stability for a volley of shots. Even when she donated both hands in wielding her javelin, Akouo's defensive capabilities remained in effect, the girl twisting around in the middle of her swings and thrusts in order to intercept an attack with her then back-mounted shield.

Then there was her Semblance. Whenever a weapon did leave her hand for whatever reason, it was never truly out of her possession as her power over magnetism would bring it back to her hand. Finally, though the handling of her weapons was beyond impressive, Pyrrha nonetheless had the power of her own body to rely on, driving knees into chins or abdomens or performing leg sweeps.

With all those capabilities, Pyrrha gave off an impression of a warrior born rather than one who still needed to be made like the rest of them. Despite being her friend, Yang had to admit that she wasn't immune to the intimidation that could be kindled by seeing Pyrrha's fighting prowess.

CRDL fell to them one-by-one. With Sky having fallen previously and unable to get back up, Russel was next to be defeated, uselessly throwing one of his daggers which Pyrrha deflected effortlessly before another shield throw disoriented him and a vicious swing of the javelin floored him. Dove followed after him but not by Pyrrha's efforts as he managed to skillfully dodge her sword swings.

No, Dove's downfall came from Cardin. His leader having been recovering from some previous hits, Cardin rose to his feet, and his desire for revenge led to his lifting of his mace in preparation for an attack on Pyrrha to accidentally bludgeon Dove. Unaware - or uncaring - of the blunder that felled his subordinate, Cardin went on with driving the heavy head of his mace into the floor, producing a controlled shockwave that carved a line across the arena towards the amazon.

A quick backflip put her out of harm's way and then Pyrrha was rushing towards Cardin with Yang wincing at the beating that followed. Several sword slashes against the boy's armor with a particularly savage one knocking him into the air and Pyrrha readily leaping up to continue exchanging blows. The finisher came when a use of Akouo and her Semblance turned the shield into a mid-air platform for Pyrrha to launch herself at Cardin, hook the shaft of Milo's now-javelin form beneath his chin, and send them both spinning towards the ground with Cardin's frightened yells being cut off when he found himself going headfirst back onto the arena.

Yang may have a low opinion of Cardin but still...ouch.

Having been standing at the sidelines the whole time, Professor Goodwitch strode into the center of the arena. "And that's the match."

Cardin groaned at her feet, somehow having managed to accomplish in getting on his hands and knees. "Lucky...shot..." With one last groan he collapsed.

"Well done, Miss Nikos," Goodwitch congratulated, giving the knocked out Cardin a cursory glance before regarding Pyrrha. "You should have no problem qualifying for the tournament."

The girl in question relaxed her stance, smiling gratefully as she switched from the unbeatable warrior that had just dominated an entire team of her fellow trainees to the kind and polite student. "Thank you, professor."

Turning to the scroll she held, Goodwitch tapped a few commands to record the results and clear the overhead monitor which, Yang noted, showed how Pyrrha's Aura bar remained a healthy green while those of CRDL were in the red. "Alright, now I know that's a tough act to follow but we have enough time for one more sparring match." The older woman looked up to the stands. "Any volunteers?"

When the searching motion of her head stopped at the section where team RWBY happened to be, Yang thought for sure that Goodwitch was looking at her. She was soon corrected. "Miss Belladonna?"

Next to Yang, Blake sat up straight, having been bent over a notebook that she slammed shut. That and her extra-wide eyes told Yang that the faunus may as well have been snapped back to reality at their professor's call.

 _Not an inaccurate way to describe it either,_ Yang thought, frowning.

"You've been rather docile for the past few classes," Goodwitch noted, unaware of how much of an understatement that was. "Why don't you-?"

"I'll do it!" came a call from the seat directly behind them, the source being the tall, silvery-haired boy.

Glynda squinted up at him, lifting her glasses to better examine him. "Mercury, is it? Very well." She brought her scroll back up. "Let's find you an opponent."

"Actually," Mercury spoke up. "I wanna fight..." He pointed back down at the arena. "Her."

Pyrrha jerked at the finger directed at her. "Me?"

"I'm afraid Miss Nikos has just finished a match," Goodwitch sternly replied with a frown. "I recommend you choose another partner."

Pyrrha held up a hand. "No, it's fine." She looked up to Mercury, another of her sincere smiles on her face. "I'd be happy to oblige."

The exchange student shot up from his seat, lips twisted in a grin. "Sounds great!" Rather than take one of the corridors that would lead down to the arena, Mercury quickly descended from the stands and hopped over the short energy barrier to make the drop down to the arena.

"If Miss Nikos has agreed...very well." Though still appearing unfavorable to the arrangement, Goodwitch resumed tapping on her scroll to officialize it.

Yang watched the two duelists position themselves at opposing sides of the arena, gaze following Mercury with mild intrigue. She had at least heard of him, Ruby having mentioned bumping into him and his other teammates from Haven Academy when they were looking for the dormitory that was reserved for exchange students. Considering their investigation, Yang never had a chance to meet them up until the beginning of their sparring course when Mercury came up to them with a girl who he introduced as his partner Emerald and wondered if they could sit with RWBY. They seemed nice enough, the two having exchanged friendly greetings with the team of Huntresses and Emerald having accepted Ruby's second round of apologies for running into her with a smile and assurance that no harm was done. It would be interesting to see what Mercury could do.

The lull before the match had Yang becoming concerned with someone else as she shifted back to Blake. Her girlfriend was reading her notebook and Yang discreetly tilted her head to try and get a look, already knowing what she was going to find before she saw the drawn wolf head in the center of a page of written notes.

That 'something else' that Ruby and Weiss wanted to talk to her about Blake was how they feared that she might be taking the investigation too far. It started off as a simple worry brought on by how neither of them had seen Blake go to bed and that she skipped a class with it only being revealed later that she had remained in the library after their team debrief.

The dark circles beneath Blake's eyes and her sagging posture were the signs that it had continued on for days now. Maybe not so much skipping but definitely coming in late for classes - and zoning out during them as she did here - while straying away from her teammates and other friends for whatever business she may have at the library or anywhere else where she could do what they all knew to be her own private investigation. She would come back late to their dorm room too but seeing her now had Yang questioning just how much of her time just lying in her bunk - a few of those instances being without changing - was for actual sleep.

Yang had thought that after everything they discovered and getting a lead on the White Fang, Blake would be able to relax. Apparently things had only gotten worse.

She would've tried to say something but that was when Pyrrha and Mercury's match was about to begin, the two latest combatants standing at the ready in front of one another; Pyrrha with sword and shield at the ready, Mercury with arms up and legs spread in a fighting stance. It was the latter who initiated the start of the duel, running forward and spinning to perform a roundhouse kick when Pyrrha rushed to meet him. His foot kicked into the rounded bronze with little effect and she responded by kneeling and sweeping his other leg out from under him with Milo, resulting in him falling onto his back. He recovered quickly, spinning his legs and pushing up with his arms to get back up and spring away from Pyrrha.

The amazon didn't give chase right away, granting him some respite while slowly rising from her knee. Only when he recovered did she return the favor and charge, Milo parrying another kick when she was in range before she spun around and brought up Akuo do block against another. Countering in the same manner in answer to three more kicks, Pyrrha switched with Milo to slap down one more to leave Mercury open to a shield bash, pushing him back a second time with those metal boots of his sending out sparks with how they scraped against the arena floor so forcefully from the exchange.

Again they didn't reengage right away, taking a few seconds to quietly appraise one another and what they learned. When compared to the recently finished duel with CRDL where attacks had followed one after another in a relentless fashion, it was different here. These were two opponents using the opening exchanges of a duel to gauge each other and get a feel for their individual styles and how best to counter them. Mercury was an exchange student and one who Pyrrha had never faced before so she was using caution; never fully committing and making the mistake of falling prey to a surprise attack that she could avoid.

Yang guessed it was the same with Mercury. Though he may've seen her fight previously - maybe even because of it -, he was taking his time to get his own in-depth analysis of Pyrrha's strengths instead of rushing in foolhardy like the members of CRDL had done. Probing for the weaknesses that Cardin and his subordinates had failed to recognize and exploit, instead relying on the brute force and numbers in a bid to overwhelm her and failing. He may've seemed cocky, but Yang could see that he had his own warrior cunning.

"Hey, your friend is doing pretty good," Ruby complimented to Emerald, recognizing the same thing.

Yang was taking special note of the armored plating at Mercury's boots and the shells that lined around his ankles. She had seen them when he was heading down to the arena and had already guessed as to what to expect as there was only one other opponent that she had faced with their weapons focused at their feet.

The art of 'kick-kicking', as she called it, was a style that had always been a conundrum to her. Sure, she could kick too and she took a measure of pride that her finishing blow against Melanie and her bladed heels had been with a foot to her face, but she didn't think how she could ever base her whole fighting technique on that. Yang saw her hand-to-hand as being rooted to the most sensible and inherent nature of people using their arms and fists to fight whether bare-handed or with a weapon. Legs and feet were to advance or retreat or generate additional power in the upper body by taking the appropriate stance. She would use them to attack but mostly when a window of opportunity presented itself.

Someone fighting with only their feet went against that and Yang had firsthand experience with how disorienting it could be. Even when Melanie had not thrown a single punch against her during the entire brawl at The Club, Yang couldn't remove her focus enough as she knew she should've from the other girl's arms in order to better defend and counter against her feet. It was a mental block that she wondered if she could get over as, despite encountering two such people in less than a year, they were a very rare breed.

If they ever fought, Yang wondered about her chances against Mercury. It wasn't just being skilled in a more unorthodox style, but he was definitely built more for it in other ways than Melanie. His legs were longer, stronger, and his body spun and twisted along with his kicks in such a dizzying pattern. With those boots that were yet another aspect that directly opposed Yang - like Ember Celica except worn at the feet -, the brawler wondered if she could win a first or even a second round with him if it was a straight-up contest with their weapons and physical strength alone. Even the vambraces at his arms could be another distraction, enhancing that unwillingness to direct attention away from them because, if they were armored, he had to have some use for them, right?

Like any other challenge though, Yang didn't let it discourage her. She could recognize her shortcomings but rather than be intimidated by them, it would only encourage her to overcome them and become better.

So she watched attentively when Mercury resumed the duel by jumping high and coming down with a drop kick that transitioned into a leg sweep after it hammered against Akuou. Pyrrha backed away from the second, bringing up her shield again to bear the brunt of another powerful roundhouse that had her retreating further away. Flipping Milo around in her hand to hold it in a reverse grip, Pyrrha knelt low, turtling herself up by bringing body and weapons close.

Mercury was willing to try and break through her shell, running into a short leap to batter her shield with consecutive kicks for a frontal assault before striking at her sides, each one met with either Akuou or Milo. Pyrrha's next movement was so fast, so subtle, that Yang almost missed it but she could see when the redhead let go of Milo and used her arm to block one kick, her sword flipping right next to her head that when she snatched it from the air, it had righted itself and she and Mercury were both spinning around for their next series of attacks. Milo came in, intercepting a boot, and then Akuou was blocking another with Milo coming back to stab high at Mercury-

Only to be kicked out of Pyrrha's hand and sent to stab deep into the floor.

Yang couldn't help but lean forward in her seat, eyes slightly wide, and she noted that Ruby and Weiss had done the same. This was the first time that any of them had seen Pyrrha disarmed in such a manner before. _This guy is really good!_

Both combatants paused, each glancing at Milo, and then Mercury was set on using the opening to deliver another spinning kick high at Pyrrha's head. She responded by lifting her now free hand up and almost too-casually brushing the foot on away from her.

The sudden wobble in Mercury's stance and how he awkwardly landed to the point of needing to take a knee to balance himself with his back to Pyrrha demonstrated how he hadn't been expecting her to have swept aside his attack like that. Yang wondered if he knew just how she had done so. To any casual onlooker and those who didn't know Pyrrha Nikos, they would've taken the sight for what it was: her having been able to deflect his foot with nothing but her hand. In truth, it was another subtle use of her Semblance.

One thing that Pyrrha made clear to them when it came to her Semblance when they discovered the true nature of it was that she was very reserved with its use. She would use it to manipulate her weapons in the littlest way possible but against her fellow students she would only do so as a last resort. True to her character, she would never, say, pull a weapon from another's hands or immobilize someone who was wearing armor. As a warrior, she detested the idea of fighting with such a significant advantage - not only due to the unfairness of applying it in such a way, but she didn't want anyone to question her fighting abilities as anything but genuine. With the restrictions she put on herself, Yang wouldn't be surprised if most of the student body at Beacon didn't know her Semblance. The only time she did make a big show of it was back when she attacked Blake with soda cans and only when the rest of the students had cleared out of the cafeteria.

Pyrrha pulled Milo out from the floor and ran at the still-kneeling Mercury, Akuou up for another shield bash. The Haven student stood and turned around at the last second, planting both boots against her shield and a bang of gunfire from one of them halted Pyrrha's charge while he was blasted clear, landing in another crouch.

Hands clutching her knees with excitement, Yang watched as Pyrrha sped after him, sure that the real fight was about to begin.

Mercury slowly stood up and looked to Goodwitch. "I forfeit."

It was Pyrrha's turn to stumble, barely avoiding running into him and coming to a stop a few feet after passing him. "You..." She faced him, baffled. "...don't even want to try?"

"What's the point?" he asked with an unconcerned shrug. "You're a world-renowned fighter. We're obviously leagues apart."

Pyrrha frowned, an annoyed hand on her hip.

"In that case, Pyrrha Nikos is the winner of the match...again," Goodwitch cut in. She tapped her scroll, logging the results, and directed a frown to Mercury as well. "Next time you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent."

"I'll be sure to do that," he replied, already walking out of the arena and throwing an easy wave over his shoulder.

Yang knew her features had to match her friend and professor's while tracking Mercury. A competent fighter he may be but there was something about that...passive-aggressiveness that came with his quips that didn't sit well with her.

The bell suddenly ran and out of the corner of her vision she happened to notice Blake once again suddenly sitting up straight like before, returning her back to her original problem.

"That is all for today," Glynda announced. "And remember, the dance is this weekend, but you all have your first mission on Monday. I will not accept any excuses!"

Ruby and Weiss were already standing up from their seats, ready to leave, and Yang got up to follow them. Blake was slow to do the same, getting up and walking after them but with her head remaining bowed and tired eyes trained on her notes.

 _I think we should have a talk about that dance_ , she decided.

* * *

Leaning against the wall next to the exit of the sparring arena, Emerald waited with arms crossed, passing off any questions from the students who were leaving and wondering what she was doing with the explanation that she was waiting for Mercury.

"It was nice to see you again!" one of them, the twerp with the red streaks in her hair, said to her while she left with the rest of her team.

Emerald feigned a smile like before to hide the disgust that roiled every time she had to associate herself with these people. Nonetheless, when they left the building she turned to watch them, her smile disappearing once she had no reason to maintain it while her red eyes narrowed dangerously at their backs.

_How that idiot Roman can't handle them I have no idea._

As much as she would like to, Cinder had forbidden any direct action to be taken against anyone at Beacon. They were here to observe, gather intelligence, and select candidates based on the prerequisites that had been laid out by her for the later phases. The next step would be during the weekend with Cinder herself to carry it out personally despite Emerald's protests that she could do it without needing her to trouble herself. Alas, those same protests did little to offer any kind of sway and Emerald didn't put much effort behind them, not wishing to overstep her boundaries again after the incident with Tukson.

_"The pieces are in place. All they need to do is move when and where I tell them to without deviation." The added fire in those eyes made it clear that Cinder expected Emerald to do the same. "Roman will play his part. Right now, it's all about making the opposition respond as we want them to." One corner of her lip curled upwards. "But I will not object to more thorough observations in the interest of preventing any more interference. And if any of them happen to qualify for our plans, well..."_

Emerald was confident that Pyrrha Nikos would make it after the demonstration she just witnessed, but even with her addition their list of names may be found wanting for more.

When she swung back around it was to see Mercury finally joining her. Smiling darkly, he whispered, "Learning is so much fun."

* * *

Team RWBY left the building together with Blake trailing behind them...the distance of which steadily increasing with how the darker girl slowed to a crawl, her legs putting one foot in front of the other sluggishly and her body swaying with each step. The only thing that remained consistent was her grip and her gaze on her open notebook.

Yang was looking back over her shoulder to keep Blake in sight, chewing on her lip worriedly. Around her, she saw that Weiss and Ruby were doing the same and they all visibly shared their concern with one another. It was the heiress who met Yang's gaze, Weiss lifting a brow and pointing her chin to Blake.

Yang knew what the signals meant and she responded with a nod and coming to a stop with the other two following suit. The three teammates waited for Blake to catch up, the faunus completely unaware of what was going on and Yang took a quick look around to make sure that there wouldn't be anyone within hearing distance. Sun and Neptune were actually nearby with who Yang guessed was the rest of their team and it was the monkey faunus who caught Yang's eye. He appeared about ready to turn and join them but Yang held up her hand to stop him.

He complied, his confusion lasting the second it took him to see the swaying Blake and understanding instantly.

Blake remained oblivious to everything around her, even when she wandered into the middle of her teammates. It was only when Yang reached out and gently prodded her that she came to a stop and she got a real good look at those baggy eyes when Blake stared up at her, confusion breaking through the exhaustion.

It was heartbreaking to watch, Blake slowly blinking up at Yang and then taking in Weiss and Ruby, unable to comprehend what was going on. She was a mess. The dark circles under her reddened eyes, the hanging lids, the lines that dug into the unhealthier paleness of her skin, and the strands of her dark hair hanging limp over those sleep-deprived features. Ruby appeared just as concerned while Weiss's curved down lips expressed how she wasn't immune to her teammate's plight either.

Blake lowered her notebook and took in the stares that were directed at her. "What?"

"So Goodwitch mentioned a dance that's happening soon," Yang spoke, volunteering to go first.

Her girlfriend switched back to her and she wondered if the long, drawn-out blink she made was as much as her not getting it as it was her trying to relieve the heaviness that weighed down her lids.

"There's going to be a lot of...uh...dancing going on!" Ruby awkwardly added. "And I'm sure some other stuff. I guess, like, music to go with it since...yeah, I guess you would have music. Um, drinks and maybe food?" She glanced at Yang and Weiss to confirm that and, at their nods, she pushed on with, "Sounds like a lot of fun."

Another slow blink but nothing else.

"Look, Blake," came Weiss. "I'll come right out and say it: we want you to go to the dance."

Blake's eyes widened, better revealing the extent of her bloodshot eyes. "What?"

"The dance this weekend," Yang further clarified, honestly believing that it was needed. "We all want you to go."

A new set of lines became evident on Blake's face as she regarded her teammates, shock giving way to agitation. "I don't have time for a stupid dance."

"Blake, we're worried about you. This investigation is starting to mess with your head."

"You can't sleep, you hardly eat," Weiss listed with a tick of her fingers. "And to be honest, your grades have been suffering."

"You think I care about grades?" Blake snapped. "People's lives are at stake!"

Yang placed a hand on her shoulder, both as support and to prevent her from attracting any unnecessary attention with her shouts. "We know, and we're all still trying to figure out more about what Torchwick and the White Fang are up to."

"It's thanks to you and Sun that we know they're operating somewhere outside of southeast Vale in the first place," Ruby said.

"We'll be able to strike at them soon," Weiss assisted. "We've got a better idea of their activities in Vale thanks to the Schnee Dust Company's records."

"And their missing military tech," Yang added.

Blake shrugged off Yang's supportive hand. "But there are still unanswered questions!"

Ruby frowned while she again examined her teammate's state. "Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open."

"All we're asking is for you to take it easy for one day," Yang pleaded.

"It will be fun," Weiss chimed in. "Yang and I will make sure of it."

"Yeah! We're planning the whole event!"

Blake swiveled her head between the yellow and white pair. "Excuse me?"

The faunus hadn't been the only one who had been busy. Her efforts in trying to uncover more about their enemies' plans allowed Weiss and Yang to fulfill their obligations to prepare for the dance in secret, both of them having spent plenty of time and effort to come up with ideas and agreeing on what they would implement while Blake remained unaware. It had been meant as a surprise with the two planners only now choosing to unveil it in a bid to get Blake to relax.

"Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected," Weiss explained.

"So Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off." Yang smiled brightly at her girlfriend. "And now we can make sure that you have the perfect night."

"And once it's all over, we'll return to our search - rested and ready."

"So what do you think?" Ruby asked, her grin exhibiting the hope that Blake would agree with their plan.

The faunus sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing at them with her free hand. For just a moment, Yang let herself believe that Blake was actually going to agree. Unfortunately, she knew they were all going to be disappointed for, when Blake opened her eyes, it was to see them having hardened with irritation. "I think this is a colossal waste of time." She singled out Yang and there was something else that was added with her ire. "I thought _you_ of all people would get that."

The disappointment that she not only saw bared on her face but felt all too acutely left Yang stunned with the hurt that it bred. It kept her frozen when Blake turned away from them all and proceeded down one of the courtyard's stone paths to drift away from them, shutting them out in favor of the notebook she returned to.

"She can't keep going like this," Weiss stated.

Yang didn't reply, experiencing a chilling sense of deja vu as she viewed Blake walking down that path. Determined, her mind set on her objective, but not realizing the toll it was taking on her body...or what it was doing to those who cared about her.

"I guess she's still being all...Blake-y?"

Yang glanced over to see Sun having joined them. "Yeah, you can say that."

Neptune had accompanied his partner and was engaging in a conversation with Weiss who was smiling as they spoke, obviously happy to see him. Ruby was with them but rather than talking she was covertly inspecting Neptune's weapon while he was distracted, having yet to get that good look at it like he originally promised her.

"Did anything happen when you two were at the rally?" Yang asked, lowering her voice. With her having been out of it for those couple of days, the investigation, and she and Weiss having focused so much on the dance, she never got the full story about what may've gone on. Maybe something that could explain more about Blake's behavior.

"You mean other than Roman discovering us and chasing us across half the city in his mech?"

"Yeah, besides that."

Sun had quirked a grin but smoothed it over. "Well before that whole thing...I hate to say it but you were right."

That got her worried and she immediately began assuming just how it was that Roman had discovered the two of them in the first place. "She didn't try to attack Torchwick or anything crazy like that, did she?"

Sun quickly shook his head. "Oh, no! It was just bad luck that he happened to see us when he did. She didn't do anything like that but..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Honestly, I would've maybe felt better if she had done that."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"No, I suppose not." Sun stared out to where Blake had been traveling. She had disappeared at this point but his distant look said that he hadn't meant to regain sight of her. "There were a lot of faunus there - as many as a hundred I'd wager. I wasn't really paying attention but I think Blake may've been surprised with just how many there were. That wasn't what got me worried though. That would be when Torchwick came up on stage."

"What happened after that?" Yang asked.

"A lot of the White Fang seemed pretty chill with him there but there were others who weren't happy seeing him. Other than showing off that Paladin, he made this big speech about all the injustices that humans have done to faunus, how they're so evil, what the Fang is doing is right - blah, blah, blah." Sun shrugged. "He won them all over with that somehow but what scared me was that Blake was listening to him too. She got fired up like the rest of them, started telling me just what it was like in the White Fang and what humans had done to push them that far and...she just seemed really angry."

Yang saw the shudder that went down his spine and travel all the way down to his tail. "We were wearing those masks at the time and, I'll admit it, it spooked me with how she was acting before I snapped her out of it. She said that she could've been one of them."

Yang's brow furrowed with concern, briefly remembering how Blake had opened up to her and spoke of the anger that had been her own - was still her own, and hearing Sun made that abundantly clear. "That was what I was worried about. I was afraid that being at such a place with the White Fang might give her bad memories and...well, I guess I was right. I'm glad you were there, Sun. Thanks."

"Hey, anytime. So what do we do now?"

Unfortunately, the answer for that remained the same. "For now, we wait. We got the dance coming up and I want her to go. Get her to relax, have fun, and just get the White Fang out of her mind for a night. Maybe that'll help."

"I could ask her to go with me," Sun suggested. "Maybe I could convince her to come and...oh, no?"

Yang's features had begun to darken at the suggestion, Sun only getting it when her eyes had narrowed into slits. "No. _I'll_ take her if I can convince her, thank you very much."

Sun leaned slightly away from her. "Yeah, sure, no problem. I was thinking that it might've been kind of lame anyway with suits and ties and all. Well if you need anything else..."

"There is one thing I wanted to ask." Yang angled her head to better stick him with that severe look. "On the subject of help, I can't help but wonder where you and Neptune had gone off to during the fight. You two couldn't have been knocked that far away from where we were fighting Torchwick."

"Oh, that?" He chuckled nervously and added a step between them. "The police were coming in and I figured you guys would be fine so-"

"Neptune!"

Sun's partner turned to Yang at hearing his name.

"What were you and Sun doing while we were fighting Roman?"

"That? We were..." What had to be the beginnings of a lie dissolved when he saw himself at the receiving end of the same look that Yang had given Sun. "We were eating at a noodle bar!"

"Dammit, Nep!"

"Sun said you would be fine!"

"I can't trust you with anything!"

"I am not dying for you and a plate of street-side noodles!"

* * *

Weiss placed the two samples on the table and slid them towards Ruby. "I need you to pick a tablecloth."

Ruby, who had her head resting on top of her folded arms, lifted her chin just enough to examine the two squares of fabric. Her gaze slid from one to the other, appearing more and more confused. Understandable as, even with her refined tastes, Weiss was having trouble picking between pearl white and ivory. Both suited her needs equally so the logical strategy was to get another's opinion to break her out of her quandary.

"Aren't they both the same?" Ruby finally asked.

...Given that the second opinion was actually _helpful._ Bunching the samples together in her frustration, Weiss huffed, "I don't even know why I asked!"

Ruby just dropped her chin back onto her arms by the time Weiss turned away. Her next order of business was at the other side of the ballroom, boxes stacked upon one of the unclothed tables that they had dragged in with more to follow. She happened to pass by Yang who was carrying a heavy speaker that had to be nearly twice as tall as she was, its destination being with the others that were gathered on and around the stage where the DJ was to set up.

A few of the decorations were already in place. Streamers rose and fell up high from where they were tied to perfectly-lined chandeliers decorated with multi-colored balloons. Chairs were lined up along the side, ready to be positioned once the rest of the tables were brought in, including a long one that would carry the punch bowl and other refreshments. By the time tomorrow night came, everything would be ready.

Weiss broke the seal on top of the first box to open it and retrieve one of the pure white paper lace doilies. She set it down and placed the tablecloth samples on either side. Stepping back with a hand on her chin, she spent a minute silently deliberating the best course of action before deciding on ivory. Just the right shade where the doilies would stand out just enough without blending too much with the cloth.

Her sense of accomplishment was stymied when she regarded her fellow planners. Ruby was still lying hunched over on the table, busying herself with scratching her nails against the wood but uncaring of what she would carve out of it. Yang was crouched behind the speaker she set down, shifting through the extension cords to plug into the back but, like her sister, her movements lacked any real sense of purpose.

Weiss took the doily and her chosen cloth, heading over to Yang who she held the items out to. "What do you think?"

"Hm?" Yang gave them a cursory glance. "They're fine." She went back to the cords that she fiddled with.

The fencer frowned. Yang had earlier refused the idea of doilies but Weiss had gone behind her back and ordered them anyway. She had been counting on a reaction from her at seeing them and was ready to counter any objections by denying her her fog machines.

Weiss knew what this was about - not just Yang's attitude but also Ruby's. It was Blake, their teammate's rejection of coming to the dance taking away all meaning for the work on an event that had been meant for her. While she hid away in the library following up on what Weiss could only guess was empty leads at this point - this being under the assumption of her having even come up with any as Blake hadn't given them any kind of results -, they had been working hard to try and surprise her with a fun night out to counter all the craziness they've all been put through lately.

Weiss's first instinct was to be mad at the faunus. To accuse her of being ungrateful for what they were doing for her and the rest of the school.

 _But that's not true, is it?_ No, Weiss could see that despite the ridiculous lengths that Blake was going to, it wasn't for selfish reasons. Besides, she would be the crazy one if she was to seriously argue that attending a school dance was more important than discovering more details on what could very well be a terrorist attack on Vale.

Except they really had nothing else to go on. They were at a dead end but only until they were able to go on their mission that they'll use as a cover to investigate further. What Blake was doing was wasting time and energy. If she kept going...

 _We need to get her to stop,_ Weiss declared. _It doesn't have to be a dance. Just...something._ Given their relationship, she believed that Yang was the best hope for that.

She knelt down next to Yang but she didn't react, whether because she didn't notice or she preferred ignoring Weiss in favor of passing extension cords back and forth between her hands. "Yang, are you sure this is the best idea?"

"Relax, princess," Yang replied. "I know what I'm doing."

Weiss shook her head. "No, not that. I meant about Blake. Maybe you should go talk to her."

"We still have a few more things to do."

"Nothing that can't be finished before tomorrow night. Look, Yang, do you really think that this is what you should be doing right now? You just saw what this whole thing is doing to Blake."

"That's why I want to get everything for the dance done," Yang explained as she plugged in the speaker. "I want the night to be perfect for her so that she'll be able to relax and forget about everything, if only for that one night."

Weiss frowned a bit. "Don't you think that the better thing to do is talk to her?"

"Yeah, 'cause that went so well before." She tried to cover it up with this more off-handed approach but Weiss saw the slowing of her movements. Although she finished with the speaker, Yang's palms rested against it as she stared off into space. "It's just...it's more than just getting her to relax. Once I learned the truth about Blake and what she had gone through while growing up with the White Fang, I couldn't help but think of all that she lost or missed out on whether because of all the prejudice against the faunus or just her fighting against it. The reason I want to make tomorrow night perfect for her is because I want her to experience some of the joys in life that she missed out on."

Weiss silently nodded although it wasn't a full conscious effort on her part, Yang's explanation appealedto her and the reasons as to why she chose to volunteer and put so much effort into the dance as well. "I can sympathize with that but I don't think it's the dance that Blake really needs right now. Believe it or not, I can understand what she's going through."

Seeing Blake and her getting worse each day reminded Weiss more and more of when she had gone through something similar. It had only been weeks ago and she could still remember all too vividly of when Ruby had nearly been killed, when she had bonded to her, and the three days afterwards when Ruby had been in the hospital with Weiss being forced to go through the aftermath of not only nearly losing her partner but the pain that came with their separation. She had initially thought that she needed to break their bond in order to get the pain to stop and revert back to her former, lonely self.

It was only when she went to the hospital and found herself taking solace in Ruby's arms that she realized that what she really needed was for someone to share her burdens with. Proof that she didn't have to face the world and its problems by herself.

"What Blake really needs is you," Weiss said. "She's taking too much of this on herself. She feels responsible for not only the White Fang being here but for you getting hurt. You need to show her that she's not alone and that you'll be there for her. That everything will be okay."

Yang was quiet the entire time, lost in thought. She eventually nodded. "You're right; I should go talk to her." She lifted her head to look at Weiss, smiling appreciatively. "Thanks, Weiss. You really do care, don't you?"

"Why would you ask something like that?" Weiss crossed her arms tight against her chest and experienced a sudden urge to turn her gaze off to the side. "Of course I care."

"I'm glad to see that Blake is included too."

"Why wouldn't she be? I told Ruby before that I don't hate her." She shuffled uncomfortably. "I may even go as far as to admit that we might be more similar than I thought given our...backgrounds. In any case, it's not just her that I'm worried about. I worry about our team and considering what we're going up against, I want to do all I can to make sure that we can fight and work together. So why don't you stop messing with that thing and go see to your partner?"

"Yeah, I will." Yang stood up. "But first..."

Before Weiss could ask what it was, Yang stepped towards her unexpectedly and she stiffened when the taller girl brought her into a hug.

"I never did apologize for that one time," Yang explained. "When I called you stone cold and almost...well, you know."

It took longer than it should've for Weiss to realize what Yang was talking about, her ability to think stalling out with this sudden closeness and warmth that she was still trying to get used to. With Yang it was more disorienting as Weiss couldn't remember thinking the brawler as that much bigger than her. Those strong arms that held her smaller frame and how Yang's chin touched the top of her head to demonstrate the height difference between them.

"We both said things that we regret," Weiss nonetheless replied, unable to do anything else with how still she became. "It's something else that I'm in favor of forgetting about."

Yang chuckled, Weiss not only able to hear but feel it with the vibrations transferring between them along with the warmth. "Consider it forgotten." Thankfully the embrace didn't last, Yang separating but she didn't let it end there, patting the top of Weiss's head. "I'm glad you're with us, Weiss. Thanks for all your help."

She walked past Weiss but the fencer didn't turn after her as she remained stationary. It was when the sound of Yang's heavy boots receded that Weiss moved, touching the top of her head where she had been patted.

Weiss spun around, the last traces of a lingering smile being erased as she switched priorities again. "So, Ruby."

Ruby had lifted her head back up in order to watch her sister leave with the curiosity which she then directed to Weiss

"Have you picked out a dress yet?"

* * *

Blake's fingers tapped against the keyboard, the repetition of the last few days being responsible for her hitting the right keys rather than any margin of attention that she wasn't devoting to the task. The screen was all but incomprehensible: a green block with words that were blurred together. The ones that Blake wanted - that she _needed_ \- to see weren't on this page and her finger was already tapping to the next page of results.

It was all repetition at this point. Begin her search with today's news articles, try and fail to find the name 'White Fang' featured with any prominence, and then when that didn't work she went through her memorized checklist of other words, names, and phrases that she was just retyping for a different day. Uses of Dust, southeast Vale, Roman Torchwick, Paladin, Atlas military, and any other ones - new or old - that would come to mind and would immediately type in.

It went about as well as one would expect. Much like yesterday, she was surfing through pages and articles that she had already visited and revisited with the rare few that she had yet to examine amounting to virtually nothing. There was very little change with her just going through the motions.

Her inadequate findings were just another burden that was weighing her down with all the others. The ones that made her lids lower halfway, cause her chin to droop, and then with a jerk she was up again, another short-lived burst of energy having her type in another search or click another article and then the process repeated as it all began to drain out of her.

She was very aware of how exhausted she was and she had given sleep a try when there came moments where she had to admit that she needed it. Yet when she would lie on her bed, concede the fight to her body's needs and let her eyes close, a reversal would occur. Her mind would suddenly be abuzz, questioning her with what she hadn't done or hadn't checked. Worst of all, she would ask herself as to what were Roman and the White Fang doing at that moment when she was laying there doing nothing to foil what they were planning.

Her heart would race. The exhaustion that she had struggled against and was then allowing to win became absent, leaving her to toss and turn restlessly on her bunk. Soon she'd be reaching for her scroll or a textbook, reasoning that she could go on for just another hour or so until she decided that she was ready for that sleep.

She wasn't sure if she succeeded. There were instances where she thought she slept; moments when she'd close her eyes and when she would open them again and see the clock, more time than what she considered as reasonable had been added to it.

When those moments did occur, she figured that it was enough for her to keep going.

It was for them that she was doing it for. Yang, Ruby, Weiss - her team. Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora - their friends. Sun and Velvet - those who had their own stake in this whether they knew it or not because of what they were and what it would mean if this conflict was allowed to grow and play out.

Somewhere beneath all of them, she was doing this for herself too despite what her state may say otherwise.

 _What haven't I checked?_ she wondered, staring tiredly at the screen. _There's gotta be something. Where haven't I - huh?_

Blake's attention snapped to the little red dot that appeared on the middle of the screen without warning. It spun around in a small little circle and began moving up and down, Blake stupidly following its movements with the ridiculous notion that she had perhaps clicked on something and it was the terminal she was accessing that was responsible for it.

She quickly understood that that wasn't the case even before the red dot slid down and off the screen in order to move onto the back of her hand. She lifted her hand, the dot sticking with it.

No, someone had to be doing this. Blake looked behind her, trying to pinpoint the culprit and saw that it was going to be difficult. She wasn't the only one in the library with students seated at the other study tables or navigating through the shelves, making it impossible for her to single out any one person who could be responsible for the interruption.

The dot had vanished by the time she returned to her screen and she carried the hope that whatever that was was now over with. Maybe she had been seeing things with her lack of sleep finally getting to her.

The dot appearing on the same hand again said she was wrong in that assumption.

Increased irritability was one consequence of her lack of sleep and having someone pulling something so childish on her - not to mention it being a stereotype that played on her feline heritage - had Blake spinning around in her chair with narrowed eyes and gritted teeth. Still she couldn't find anyone and the red dot had once again disappeared.

She was prepared for when it appeared for a third time and she tried to ignore it. It was a battle she lost instantly, the red light having chosen to appear on the center of the screen again where it moved in a left-to-right pattern before breaking off to perform figure eights. It worked too well as a distraction and if ever asked Blake would argue it was due to her exhaustion that had her so fixated on it that her eyes tracked it the whole time before she closed them, growled, and slammed her fists onto the edge of the table.

Her chair violently scraped along the floor while sliding back as she stood and whirled around, intent on putting an end to this once and for all, but again there was nothing. Nothing save for the red dot that, rather than disappear again, was currently at her feet. It slowly began to move away from her.

Unfortunately for her, she knew when something was telling her to follow it and with no other choice she did just that, feet stomping after it. It kept just ahead of her toes, tempting her, and Blake gave in when a couple of her steps were made in an attempt to smash directly onto it with, obviously, no effect. Only when it led her to the end of one row of bookshelves did it pull further away and disappear around the last shelf. She spun around to continue the chase - and nearly bumped right into Yang.

"Hellllooo~" Yang greeted, waving her hand with a laser pointer held between her fingers.

Blake stared at her with surprise. "What are you-?"

Her partner reached out and grabbed her wrist. "We need to talk."

Blake made a noise at the sudden yank that had her stumbling after Yang, any attempt to pull free immediately proven to be futile with the grip that was on her wrist - not tight enough to hurt, but enough where the faunus wasn't going to be able to remove her arm without the effort that she knew she couldn't make. "Yang, I was in the middle of something!"

"Yeah, when haven't you been lately?" Yang asked, her back to Blake while she kept moving, effortlessly dragging the darker ninja behind her.

"Whatever you're up to, I don't have time for it."

"You know what, Blake? You're about to make time for it whether you want to or not."

The steel in her voice and the miniscule tightening of her fingers almost made Blake surrender. Almost. "If this is about the dance, I already told you that I'm not interested."

"It actually isn't. So why don't you wait until you hear what it is?"

"Can't you just tell me now?" Blake asked, wondering why walking needed to be involved.

"No."

Blake was rendered silent after that rebuke, unable to do anything other than follow Yang as they turned a corner, then another. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long to find out where her girlfriend was taking her, Yang stopping and pushing open the imposing double doors of a lecture hall.

When Yang entered, pulling Blake along, it was to see that it was a currently empty lecture hall – devoid of any sign of life save for the two of them which made her question if Yang had planned at least this far ahead. The blonde took a second to close the doors behind them and then descended down the stairs in order to reach the absent professor's desk, not once letting go of Blake who was forced to follow. Only when they cleared the last step did Yang loosen her grip and let her hand drop away so that she could boost herself up onto one side of the expansive desk, folding her legs together.

Blake didn't give her a chance to speak, already doing so when Yang rotated to her. "Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you might as well save your breath."

"I don't want you to stop," Yang replied, her tone and features having softened. "I want you to slow down."

Blake narrowed her eyes, wondering what kind of game she was playing. "We don't have the luxury to slow down."

"It's not a luxury; it's a necessity."

The soft, easy words played at Blake's exhaustion and she shook her head against the subtle manipulation, raising her own in response. "The _necessity_ is stopping Torchwick."

"And we're going to," Yang gently assured, the faunus failing to break the serenity she emanated. She tapped the empty side of the desk with her hand. "But first, you need to sit down and hear what I have to say."

Blake glanced at the closed doors, contemplated on running, and caught on to the futility of it. Yang would probably stop her and, in her state, she wouldn't be able to outrun her if she did pursue. Even if she did manage to escape, Yang would just track her down again. It was best to get this over with.

"Fine," Blake sighed, sliding onto the designated spot.

Yang appeared pleased, waiting until Blake settled herself before she began. "Ruby and I grew up in Patch: an island just off the coast of Vale."

Blake quirked a brow but stayed quiet. She knew of the island and that the sisters hailed from it so that wasn't what piqued her interest. What she was interested in was what this had anything to do with Roman and the White Fang.

"Our parents were Huntsmen," Yang continued. "Our dad taught at Signal and our mom would take on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose." A wistful smile, one full of warmth and fondness of a cherished memory, blossomed at her face. "And she was like, Supermom: baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters."

The tips of her lips fell as did her gaze, the warmth draining from them as Yang gazed down at her folded legs. "And then, one day she went on a mission and never came back. It was tough. Ruby was really torn up but…I think she was really still too young to get what was going on, you know?"

Blake didn't reply although she hoped she mustered up an expression of sympathy when sad lilac eyes slid up to her. And with it, perhaps a measure of understanding.

She…couldn't remember her mother. For as long as Blake knew, the White Fang had been the only thing that she could consider as family. There had been faunus who looked after her, older members of both genders who took care of and tried to establish themselves as mother and father figures, but Blake couldn't remember having one like Yang and Ruby's – or a normal family life at all, really.

Like Ruby, she had probably just been too young at the time; unable to understand the full significance of losing someone like that and, thus, leave any lasting impressions or memories that would've made their disappearance so painful. That, and she had been raised by others to uphold a commitment that took a higher priority in her life.

She supposed that she should've felt unfortunate in that regard but…she couldn't really miss what she never really had to begin with.

"My dad kind of…shut down." Unlike her though, she could get a clear reading of pain from Yang. "It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he'd lost; she was his second. The first…was my mom."

It took a second for the significance of the statement to hit. When it did, Blake couldn't stop the widening of her eyes, her mouth hanging open an inch. She had wondered, but never truly considered the possibility…

Yang and Ruby looking so different from one another she passed off as nothing: simply one sibling possessing more of the features of one parent while the other had the characteristics of another. Even the difference of their names hadn't derived any special scrutiny. Naming conventions were anything but standard on Remnant and were made even more diverse in the different kingdoms, human and faunus culture, and even the villages and wandering nomads who abided by their own set of laws. It wasn't unheard of for Huntsmen and Huntresses – particularly those who came from a legacy of some renown – to not give up their family names when married and if they had children they would impart each one with both their names so that they can each be carried on by their offspring.

And just the love that Yang and Ruby held for each other was more than genuine enough for Blake to doubt it to be anything less than sisterly. Then again, for all the times they would mention their family life to their partners, Blake couldn't recall any such stories including their mother – or mothers.

"He wouldn't tell me everything," Yang revealed. "But I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she had left me with him just after I was born." She resumed looking down at her legs. "No one has seen her since."

"Why did she leave you?" Blake asked, the story having grown enough to temporarily overshadow her own concerns.

Yang breathed out slowly. "That question." She spun around so that her legs were hanging off the edge of the desk. "Why?" She pushed herself off to stand in front of the chalkboard located behind it. "I didn't know the answer but I was determined to find out."

She picked up a piece of chalk. "It was all I thought about. I would ask anybody I could what they knew about her." She held it up to the board, drawing a single, curved line to mark the beginning of the story. "Then, one day…I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers…or maybe even my mother."

Blake didn't make any comment, watching silently as Yang kept drawing and speaking.

"I waited for dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out." The long line was joined by another. "We must've walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises; I was totally exhausted. But I wasn't going to let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand."

Yang kept adding lines, lengthening them, and then curved back to form what Blake could only describe as an elongated, feathered C. "But I didn't care – I had made it." She moved the chalk to the mouth of the C, stabbing the tip into the board hard. "And then I saw them. Those burning red eyes…" She drew a circle, the motion made with enough force that the chalk screeched as it was moved.

"There we were," she scoffed. "A toddler asleep in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter."

The circle, as it turned out, wasn't that. Yang had the teeth of what was really a cog located inwards. Its position gave it the appearance of an eyeball with that C being a feathered brow.

"But," she went on, "as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time." Her last addition to the image was a smaller cog, the teeth positioned outwards. If the larger one was the eye, than this one was the pupil. It wasn't centered though, instead located higher up and to the left as if looking at something out at the corner of its vision.

Her drawing, and story, apparently finished, Yang set the chalk down, her shoulders and head following it as she stood slumped, appearing ashamed under the gaze of the makeshift eye. "My stubbornness should've gotten us killed that night."

Blake shifted on the desk, repeating Yang's actions as her legs briefly hung over the edge before she got off. Her voice was low and she hoped that Yang would know that her compassion was sincere as she said, "Yang, I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me…" She stood straight, staring resolutely at her partner's back. "But this is different. I'm not a child and this isn't just a search for answers. I can't just-"

"I told you," Yang interrupted sternly and Blake could make out how she was tightening her grip on the short ledge of the chalkboard. "I'm not telling you to stop. I haven't. 'Till this day I still want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me. But I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for, Blake, but if we destroy ourselves in the process then what good are we?"

Frustration boiled, Blake's own hands curling into fists. "You don't understand; I'm the only one who can do this!"

"No, _you_ don't understand!" Yang whirled around and Blake had to prevent herself from flinching at her own burning red eyes that stared angrily at her. The blonde pointed back towards the door of the classroom. "If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?"

Blake remained steadfast, gazing straight into the heart of that molten fury while she tensed in preparation. "I'd fight him!"

She saw the attack coming and her arms came up to block but it was useless as Yang lashed out with a shove that knocked her back against the desk. "You'd lose!"

Blake struck back, pushing off the desk and using the momentum and all the strength she had to respond. "I can stop him!"

Compared to how Yang nearly knocked her over the furniture, the few inches that Blake managed to achieve in moving the brawler's shoulder back were pitiful. "You can't even stop me!"

Yang's next shove was harder and this time Blake nearly toppled over the desk, her hands slamming down onto the surface to stop herself and leaving her sprawled on top of it. She twisted around, glaring up at Yang who stood indomitably, her eyes still burning.

Despite such opposition, Blake lifted herself back up as she had done before – as she's been doing. Even against Yang she rose, her muscles tensing while her mind latched onto the single-minded purpose to keep going.

She couldn't stop. Couldn't slow down. If she did either and something happened, how could she live with herself if she couldn't say that she had done everything that she could to stop it? That she had searched and looked and fought with all that she had?

It was her fault. She helped bring the Fang here. It was her responsibility. Hers to make right. She was the only one who could.

Yang wasn't waiting, already closing the distance to continue.

It was Yang she was doing it for. For her, for Ruby, for Weiss – everyone. To make sure that they wouldn't pay for her mistakes. That they wouldn't get hurt again. She couldn't let anything happen to them. She couldn't-

Yang's shadow fell over her, Blake bracing for the next assault - and then jolting in surprise when those arms didn't savagely attack but drew her into a tender embrace.

"I'm not asking you to stop," Yang said quietly, resting her head on top of Blake's shoulder. "Just please, get some rest. Not just for you, but for the people you care about."

Blake was still, looking off to the side where nothing but her partner's golden mane was to be seen, the tips of those curls brushing against her cheeks as tenderly as Yang's hold on her.

This…this was familiar. Not just the hug but…they've done all this before. Blake having been put at the forefront of Yang's fury, she having been expecting the girl to strike her down, only to find herself being enveloped with what had really been worry for her wellbeing and utter relief that she was safe.

The docks. When Yang found her. When she had been throwing herself at Torchwick and the White Fang like she was now. When she got her to stop just like this.

But there was a difference. Along with her own natural warmth, what Blake felt was Yang's own Aura enshrouding her. While she was immersed in its radiance though, it was their bond that gave her a look deep into its source.

And it wasn't pure. It was tainted. Contaminated.

"Please, Blake," Yang whispered. "Don't leave. Not again."

It was her. The shroud that dimmed the luminous core was of Blake's making. The fibers that constructed this web of anguish that darkened her girlfriend's essence.

She was already hurting Yang. All her efforts to try and protect her from harm were doing the reverse.

_And I had…done this before too._

Had this been what Yang had gone through when she ran from her team last time? The days she hid, leaving Yang to worry about her safety? She had heard Yang's relief in her tears, felt it in her arms, but never had she been able to see so deep into her soul to witness the damage that Blake had caused with her actions.

And remind her of how another had left her with no explanation.

Tears gathered in Blake's eyes and there was nothing to interrupt them this time. When her arms finally came up, her hands clutching onto Yang's jacket, it was not to throw them to safety but draw her closer. She buried her face into the leather.

"I'm sorry," came her muffled words.

"It's all right, Blake," Yang spoke, rubbing her back.

But it wasn't. She had done it once, swore that she wouldn't do it again, but here she was now, seeing for herself just what that same foolishness had done. Guilt and her gathered exhaustion broke her down and Blake was clinging to Yang for support. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Blake shook against Yang in time with her muffled sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Yang rocked along her heels, trying to calm her with the comforting back-and-forth movement of their bodies. "You're here now and that's all that matters."

It was another thing that had taken too long to learn but Blake tearfully agreed: this was all that mattered.

* * *

Weiss used the long mirror of to the side to help with her final touches. She shifted the black mesh to a comfortable position on her shoulders, smoothed down the white silk of the dress, and finished with a couple tugs on the skirt. It was a perfect fit, the dress hugging tightly to her form save for where the sides of her waist were bared due to how the material of the dress slanted inwards upon reaching her ribs, covering her navel and smash of her back before going to the skirt.

It was a good mix of colors, blending well with her own natural beauty such as her hair and pale complexion if she was able to say so herself. Without a doubt, this dress was perfect for her.

But once again she found herself desiring a second opinion. Once she was sure the dress was properly fitted, she pulled the curtain of the dressing room to the side and stepped on through, spinning gracefully on the heels of her pumps to show it all off before coming to a stop. "Well, what do you think?"

Ruby had been sitting idly by in front of the fitting room of the clothing boutique, lazily swinging her legs until Weiss appeared. Giving her partner her full attention, Ruby's gaze swept up and down along Weiss and, unlike the doilies, there was true appreciation to be found with her risen brows and impressed smile. "Very pretty! You look great!"

Weiss held her chin up high at the praise, a movement that had become instinctive but the heiress noted that she was holding it higher than usual. "Naturally. I'll change back into my clothes and we'll see how you look in yours."

Returning to the fitting room and closing the curtain back behind her, Weiss went to her hanging combat attire, first checking the pocket of her jacket for her scroll to look for any new messages. She was rewarded with one that was tagged as from Yang and it was after reading it that she smiled.

 _Taking the rest of the day off, huh?_ Weiss mused, comprehending the subtext of the message without Yang's atrocious use of a crude emotional face at the end. She thought it safe to assume that things were going well with the latter half of RWBY which was what she hoped for by taking this little trip with Ruby when Weiss discovered that her leader hadn't made the most basic preparation of choosing out a dress for the dance, giving time for Yang to talk some sense into Blake which she hopefully had just done.

Weiss chose to believe it, if only to remove that worry from Ruby's mind as well. While undoing the back of her dress, Weiss called out, "I just got a message from Yang. It sounds like her and Blake are going to be fine."

"Are they?" Weiss could barely make out Ruby's relieved sigh. "That's good. I hope that means that Blake is going to be at the dance too."

"She might," Weiss allowed although she knew that just getting the faunus to gain some much-needed sleep was enough.

She changed quickly, no longer needing to worry about giving their teammates as much time as possible which was why she had proposed her and Ruby taking turns on trying out their dresses and let the other critique on it. After folding her dance dress neatly and gathering up her high heels, she left the changing room, leaving the curtain open for Ruby. "Your turn."

Ruby nodded, standing up and picking up her own dress that she left hanging on the back before the two switched places, Weiss seating herself on the chair while Ruby disappeared into the changing room.

The boutique was rather trendy, a quick look around able to tell anyone that its wares were all manner of expensive and flashy and meant for those who would purchase and wear them to make an impression. There were even holo-units scattered amongst the stores that were meant for patrons to customize their own dresses if they were unsatisfied with the ones displayed on the racks. They could trim and lengthen skirts, color them however they wanted, and then place their orders and have them sent to their homes.

The place screamed expensive and Weiss had noticed how uncomfortable Ruby was upon first walking through the door and nearly getting overwhelmed when she saw the price tags on the initial samples that Weiss held out for her to examine. It had been one that Weiss had selected beforehand and she took it upon herself to guide Ruby through it, her assistance slowly easing the younger girl into the environment. She was still nervous about the pricing and their travels had been restricted to styles and brands that were the least expensive. Weiss had yet to mention that price was something that she wasn't going to have to worry about as it was her partner who was going to pay for everything.

It got Ruby's mind off of Blake at least, it being plain that she was still worried about her teammate during the flight to Vale and walk to the store. Weiss had taken care to not bring it back up but, with the matter apparently settled, those worries no longer mattered as she raised her voice so that Ruby could hear her through the curtains. "So do you have a date for the dance?"

"Huh?" The rustling paused, Ruby needing time to digest the question. "Oh, um, no. No one had really asked me to go with them."

"You don't have anyone in mind to ask yourself?"

"Well I don't really know anyone well enough to ask out for something like this," Ruby admitted, clearly embarrassed about the subject. "I mean the only people I really know are Jaune or Ren but I figured that they were going to go with Pyrrha and Nora. Other than them, there's no one else that I can really ask with all my other friends that I could ask still at Signal."

With how close their team was, it sometimes slipped Weiss's mind about Ruby's circumstances and that she did have other friends that she had to leave behind. Despite the progress that Ruby made since first semester, she was still a fifteen-year-old girl, thrust into a whole new environment with a bunch of new people and, with her leadership duties, it was difficult for her to really get to know many other people.

"So what do you expect to do at the dance?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know. I guess just attending could be fun. It's going to be my first time going to something like this. We have dances at Signal and there was going to be one for third-year students but I kinda got transferred here before it happened. But it's totally fine if you guys will be there!"

Weiss smiled softly. "Yeah, I suppose."

"What about you, Weiss? Do you have anyone in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Is it Neptune?"

Weiss probably shouldn't have been surprised at Ruby's perceptiveness as the answer was pretty obvious but she still was a little. "Yes. I haven't really gotten the chance to ask him though since I've been working so hard on the preparations."

"Yeah, you have," Ruby agreed. "You and Yang both. I figured that you had to have attended a lot of these kind of things though."

"I...have," Weiss hesitantly replied. "I mean I don't have to tell you about how famous my family is. We plan and have events like dinner parties to get business partners together to discuss the future of Schnee Dust."

"I _see_!" Ruby grunted, having been struggling with something while Weiss spoke. "Oh, that reminds me! The Paladin; your family had some help in making it, right? I thought all your company did was Dust."

Weiss was thankful for the curtain as it prevented Ruby from seeing how her expression fell. "Dust and its different applications. It gives the SDC openings for the various markets, the military chief among them. I don't really know too much about that though so I can't really say much about that."

It was a half-lie. Having been out of contact with her family, Weiss wasn't aware of whatever their most recent exploits were concerning their connections to the Atlesian military but it was an arrangement that had existed for years now. Like all other things, the White Fang was the biggest motivator for that, her father having funded and even set aside scientific personnel for the development of more powerful weapons that were accomplished by using Dust to power them more efficiently. Other than profit, their efforts gave the Schnee family a way to arm themselves with those same weapons that they've helped developed being willingly given to them in their own personal war with the Fang.

It was another aspect of her family that Weiss would like to avoid discussing. "Those parties though, they weren't really for me. I mean they were all business-related with only my father's associates and their heirs attending and I really didn't know anything about them."

"You never got to know any of them?"

"I never had a reason to." Weiss sighed. "All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name. They never really cared about getting to know about _me_ so much as what I would be able to do for them with my family name. When I told you about my singing and how I came to hate it when it became a talent that was exploited...it was kind of like that."

Leaning back against her seat, Weiss stared down at how her legs were crossed with one on top of the other. "It's why I'm putting so much effort into this. This dance has nothing to do with business or politics and Neptune isn't like those other boys either which is why I find him interesting. I just want to have fun and thanks to you and our team, I've been having a lot of fun. The card game and the food fight...those were things I've never done before and even though I didn't really take to most of them...it was fun to try. You guys are my friends, really my only friends, and I'm happy what you and Beacon have done for me."

Ruby was silent and when Weiss looked up when she heard the curtain move, it was to see her having poked her head out of the fitting room to look at her. "I guess I never really thought of it that way even with all that you've told me about you." She smiled. "I hope this all goes really well for you, Weiss. And don't worry, I definitely consider you as one of my best friends!"

That bright smile and the assurance that was not only transmitted through it but through that little spot that was Ruby in her heart got what she was thinking about calling the Ruby-warmth to spread through her, giving birth to her answering smile. "Thank you, Ruby. I'm sure I will."

With a lingering smile, Ruby ducked back into the fitting room to finish changing. "That does make me feel better about going to the dance, even it's without a date. I want to see you guys all have fun."

"Speaking of the others, there was something I wanted to ask you," Weiss said, that 'something' having been bugging her for a while now. "Your sister. Did you know that she... _liked_ girls?"

"Liked? ...Ooooh. _Liked_. I, um, no I hadn't really known. I mean, Yang had gone out with boys before. Dad always got on her case, especially if she brought them home and he got back from work early but I don't know if she like, _liked_ girls in that way too. Although when I think about it, she did bring home a couple girls home too but I just assumed they were study buddies or, you know, something that wasn't _that_."

"Do you find that..." Weiss shifted in her seat uncomfortably, trying to find the right word to end the question with but quickly found herself struggling to think of one that wasn't insulting. "...Unusual?"

Ruby was slow in answering and she sounded just as uncomfortable. "I...don't know. I mean, I never went out with anyone - boys or girls. I was having trouble at Signal Academy at the time and with dad giving Yang such a hard time with her dates, it was something that I didn't really want to get into and I never really liked someone like that before anyway. But Blake and Yang seem really happy and maybe it seems a little unusual but it doesn't feel _wrong,_ does it?"

"No, I suppose not," Weiss answered truthfully. "It just never really occurred to me that girls could like other girls like that."

Mostly because it was a concept that had never been brought up in her household when she was growing up. When it came to love, marriage, and the romantic union of two people, it was always spoken as a thing strictly between a man and a woman. Every suitor that had come to try for Weiss's hand had always been male and any discussion of her potential future for marriage by her parents had always been spoken of with a husband in mind. The thought of loving and possibly marrying another girl...it had been unheard of for Weiss until Yang and Blake came into the picture.

Unusual hadn't been all that Weiss thought to describe their relationship and it hadn't been the least flattering word that she came up with. It had been downright weird to her. Maybe even as far as wrong.

Like everything else that had come from Beacon though, Weiss's initial opinions began to give the more she thought and saw of it. Those sneaky shows of affection that their teammates would pass to one another – chaste kisses, squeezes of held hands, gentle embraces, the smiles and affection they carried – and Weiss asking herself if any one of those looked or felt wrong only to come up in negative. Being happy was never wrong and something that Weiss herself wanted to feel more often so she couldn't justifiably say what those two had was wrong. It was just different from what she was used to.

Honestly, a part of her was kind of envious. Having come to compare herself more and more to Blake, the faunus being able to find happiness in the wake of her own troubled past had Weiss wishing that she could do the same.

Unlike everything else that was _different_ and what she partook in regardless though, she doubted she would do so in the same way that Blake did: finding it with another girl. It was just something she was wondering if she could accept of other people, not reject. She was satisfied that she found the answer that she could and she didn't need to stay on the subject anymore.

"Are you done yet?" Weiss asked in order to better remove herself from it. Even if Ruby required more time to change due to the nature of her outfits, it shouldn't be taking her this long.

Ruby was so slow in answering that Weiss almost asked the question again with the thought that she didn't hear her before her timid answer finally came. "Yeah, I am."

"Well hurry up and let me see!"

There came a bit more hesitation with Weiss wondering why that was. Finally, the curtain was slid to the side and out stepped Ruby.

Weiss quietly appraised her partner's dress. It was somewhat similar to her own in some aspects, sleeveless, with Ruby having chosen one with the same mesh material that went over her shoulders and down to cover her chest. The dress itself – red and black, of course, not that Weiss could really judge her for it – was of red silk that was split at her chest, bound together with strings reminiscent of the corset of her regular attire. Rather than let any of her skin show at the middle, a black sash was tied around her waist before the dress fell to its flowing red skirt with its black trimmings.

The snowy princess tilted her head slightly to the side to get a better angle on Ruby and the strange question came of why no one would bother asking the young girl out. Sure, she was the youngest at Beacon, but she was already showing the beginnings of an attractive young woman with the slight plump – remnant baby fat or consumption of sweets both valid reasons for it – at areas such as her stomach and hips made up for what puberty had yet to fully hit her with. Then there were the signs of what she did have and-

_Wait a minute._

Somehow Weiss didn't know how it hadn't been the first thing that she should've noticed. Having gone down to admire the black pantyhose that clung to Ruby's legs, Weiss realized that Ruby was missing something.

"Ruby, where are the heels that I picked out for you?"

Ruby had been fidgeting uneasily during Weiss's examination and at the query she stiffened and looked away from Weiss, proving what the heiress had already been suspecting. Ruby was not wearing the black pumps. She wasn't wearing anything at all!

"I thought that you'd be able to get a better opinion on my dress by not wearing the heels?" If Ruby had stated instead of asking that, Weiss _might_ have actually believed her. If only a little.

"You can't complete the dress without the heels," Weiss argued. "I know you took them in with you so go put them on."

Ruby made no move to do so, still standing uneasily in front of Weiss. "Am I able to wear my boots instead?"

"Are you insane?" The image of that dress with Ruby's standard boots was so atrocious that Weiss banished it before it could even come to mind. "No you can't wear your boots!"

With a groan, Ruby made the two-step trip back to the changing room. When she returned though, it was with the heels in hand and she sat on one of the chairs before she put them on. Weiss said nothing, waiting with arms crossed while she did so…and then made no move at all. Ruby clutched at the edges of the chair, teeth chewing on her bottom lip.

"Well?" Weiss coaxed impatiently.

"Okay," Ruby whispered, so lowly that it was when she whispered it again that Weiss understood that she was saying it to herself. "Okay, okay. Here we go."

The last time Weiss had seen Ruby do something like this was when she was psyching herself up for their midterm exams at the end of the semester. When she was about to ask what was the matter, Ruby pushed herself off the chair, shooting straight up to her feet.

Then she wobbled.

Tipped.

And fell flat on her face.

"Oooowww," she moaned.

There came the _slap_ of Weiss's hand meeting her forehead. _Oh, you have_ got _to be kidding me._ She lowered her hand to regard the fallen Ruby. "I know you aren't the most coordinated of us but, seriously, _this_?"

"How can you blame me?" came Ruby's indignant cry as she struggled to get back on her feet. "I'm trying to balance on stilts!" It was those 'stilts' that were giving her trouble, Ruby able to get on her hands and knees but soon finding it impossible to get the thin heels to settle beneath her in order to stand back up.

"Any lady should be able to walk in high heels!" Weiss understood what she said as soon as it left her lips. "Then again, I guess that wouldn't include you, would it?"

"Stop making fun of me and help me!" When Weiss complied and bent down, Ruby desperately clutched onto the hands that were offered to her. "It's not like I ever have a reason to wear these. I can't even begin to understand how you're able to fight in these!"

"They promote balance and dexterity," Weiss lectured, slowly accomplishing in bringing Ruby to her feet. "Much like my fighting style and _very_ unlike yours. Can't your sister walk in heels?" Even with her own boots, Yang had that strut with a swaying that Weiss had to admit was graceful – if showy - and made her believe that the older sister could do well in a pair.

"She does," Ruby quietly admitted. Though she was now on her feet, she didn't relinquish her hold on Weiss's hands with the heiress needing to pull them out and nearly toppling over Ruby again with the small struggle. Without her support, Ruby stood stiffly as if afraid the slightest movement on her part would bring her low again.

"You know, this only proves my point," Weiss said, referring to the current posture.

Ruby pouted, the only thing she was brave enough to perform.

"Alright, look. There isn't anything to this; they're like any other kind of footwear. Land on the heel, then the toes. This isn't like the stomping that I know you're more accustomed to. Watch."

Weiss took several steps back in order to attain the needed space. With Ruby watching, Weiss walked around in front of her. As she was taught, Weiss held herself poised with the lifting of her chin. When she walked, there was no thought to it. She took her first step with her left, landing perfectly on the heel with an audible tap and rolling her foot onto the toes. With her next one, her right leg swung around her left in order to bring her foot in front of the other, repeating the action with the added effect of a small swaying of her hips.

Back and forth she went, her spin just as artful when she rotated around to continue. Her arms were down, her hands moving alongside her hips with a rolling of her shoulders. A show of dignity that grabbed attention in its own way as it had done in the past. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ruby staring harder than she probably needed, doing her best to make out and memorize every detail that was shown.

Weiss did seven laps before stopping and refacing Ruby. "Alright, now you try."

Concentration immediately caved and Ruby stood nervously. "Could you stand close? Just in case."

Weiss rolled her eyes but complied. Ruby seemed willing to make the effort at least although out of all the things Weiss expected to teach and help Ruby with, this had not been one of them. With the proximity of her partner giving her the suitable amount of courage, Ruby made a tiny step forward with Weiss biting back a comment of how she landed on both toes and heel at once.

Her next step was nearly just as disastrous. Her initial 'success' made her confident enough to try and clear a larger amount of space with her next step. Her landing was just as sloppy though and Weiss nearly leapt forward when Ruby wobbled, arms swinging out to balance herself. She remained back though, watching with some growing amusement when Ruby was able to succeed with a few more steps but each one just as wobbly as the last. The girl looked more like she was walking on a tightrope.

After managing to cross a generous distance, Ruby made her attempt to mimic more of Weiss's movements, swinging her back leg around the front. Weiss all but anticipated the fall when she saw the awkward shift of Ruby's hips, her leader already tipping when she brought her foot down with no balance to speak of, heel and foot being knocked over, and then she was crying out, arms now swinging to grab a hold of something as she fell.

Fortunately, Weiss did spring forward in time, clasping Ruby's hands and a quick, forceful pull brought Ruby out of her fall and righting her back up.

"Well it's…progress," Weiss commented, definitely being too generous with that while Ruby stood before her hunched over with a death grip on her partner's hands. "A bit more practice at our dorm _might_ help though I doubt you'll get the needed amount before the dance. At least you'll have some privacy."

Ruby swiveled her head around, having been concentrating so hard on walking that she didn't notice that a couple other customers and associates of the boutique had been discreetly watching and quickly turned away when she spotted them. She caught them though and her cheeks reddened to match her dress while her head sunk low.

Weiss had to admit that it was rather cute but it was probably best to spare her from any more suffering. "Anyway, I think we've spent enough time here. Go change and I'll meet you at the registers."

Relieved didn't even begin to describe Ruby with how quickly she kicked off her heels, only letting go of Weiss once she removed them. Inwardly chuckling, Weiss went to where she left her own outfit, gathering them up.

"Hey, Weiss?"

Weiss looked over her shoulder, seeing Ruby having paused at the mouth of the changing room with her heels in one hand, curtain in the other. "Yes?"

"This was fun," her partner stated, a smile splitting between her still rosy cheeks. She gave a light shake of the heels. "Even with nearly getting a broken ankle."

"I'm glad."

Ruby tilted her head curiously at her. "Was this fun for you?"

The answer came easily as well as the honesty that was in it and the heiress's own smile. "Yes, actually. A lot of fun. Especially the near-broken ankle."

Ruby puffed out her cheeks indignantly, Weiss's chuckle lasting as long as it took the younger girl to forcefully pull the curtain between them and then the fencer was making her way to the registers where she would wait for her. Already Weiss was predicting Ruby's objections when she found out who was paying for everything, blatantly ignoring her wealth and how even a dress at a place like this was nothing to her.

 _Besides, I owe her more than she'll ever know,_ Weiss thought while glancing around the interior of the store one last time, this being another thing. Whenever the heiress needed new dresses for a party or clothes in general, typically she would be sized and measured at home and it being the expertise of the best tailors that would decide what the 'perfect' dress would be for her. A few times Weiss had perused through stores but it was in the presence of bodyguards and other means of protection and security.

But never had she done so in the company of someone who she considered as her best friend. Just the two of them and the racks of clothing that they shifted through, commenting on whatever caught their attention – the color, the style, and, in Ruby's case, the price -, before eventually agreeing together as to what to wear.

_Then we'd try them on, talk about things like boys while changing, and…_

Weiss slowed to a stop within a section that was meant for beauty accessories; lip gloss, concealers, highlighters, mascara – basic makeup. What became the center of her attention though were the neatly-rowed bottles of nail polish. After some silent deliberation, Weiss stepped over to them, selected a couple of colorful bottles that she deemed as suitable matches for her and Ruby's outfits, and then went on her way with them in her possession.

* * *

_The pain was subdued by a cocoon of soft warmth. Present, but not prominent._

_When she opened her eyes, it was to see fire. It was just as contained, the flames burning within the brick fireplace, the space enough for her to feel their own measure of comforting warmth at her face. She watched as they danced upon their wooden stage that burned and charred beneath their feet, so captivated by the spectacle that all she could think about was how pretty and relaxing it was._

_The spell was broken by a series of images that passed through her mind's eye in an instant. The worn, rickety cabin, the angry red eyes staring from within which were soon accompanied by the teeth, claws, and snarls of the Beowolves that leapt out. Her on her knees, too tired to run or scream, fated to die along with her sister who slept in the wagon, unknowing of the doom that was about to fall upon them until that last moment. Their lives saved by their uncle and then..._

_A different kind of terror robbed her of her comforts when she realized that she wasn't alone. Along with the blanket that was wrapped around her, she was being cradled in the arms of the strong presence that held her against him. He wasn't any kind of Grimm but she felt nearly as scared as she did upon sighting the Beowolves that had been ready to devour her._

_It all hit her in the wake of his presence. The shame of what she had done, how the task that she had thought to be so pure she now realized had been so incredibly foolish, the guilt for putting herself and her sister in so much danger, and what had nearly happened because of her stupidity. Her quest to put her family back together had nearly destroyed those who were left._

_Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision, and it was only because of that that she got the courage to look up at him if only so that she wouldn't be able to see the anger that had to be on his face. The tangled ball of emotions lodged in her throat, choking her, and it was all she could do to breathe. Somewhere in the middle her vain apology was carried with her breaths._

_"D-daddy," she whimpered, those tears breaking through to spill down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."_

_She flinched at the caress at her cheek that did away with the forming wet trails. She attempted to retreat into the folds of the blanket, wishing that she would disappear, but he wouldn't let her. He better tucked her against his chest while he leaned down, his head touching her own to better bring his mouth to her ear._

_"It's okay, sunshine," he whispered, fingers stroking through her hair. "You both are back home, safe and sound, and that's all that matters." He tipped his chin up so that his lips could touch her temple. "I'm so, so sorry."_

_She laid unmoving in his arms, not understanding why he wasn't angry and why he was the one apologizing. It didn't make her feel any better, actually making her feel worse. His soft-spoken words, how he touched her hair and clung to her so tight, it was all just so wrong. Her daddy wasn't supposed to be afraid. He wasn't supposed to be so sad. This was what she had wanted to fix, not make it worse._

_The tears returned anew along with the guilt when she understood that this was something else that was her fault. Again came that urge to run and hide but a desperate squeeze from her daddy convinced her not to. So rather than do that, she wiggled one arm out from the blanket, followed by the other, and her bandaged hands grabbed what she could of him while she turned to better press herself against him._

_That was how they remained for however long it took before she fell asleep again. The pain of her body and that of her heart soothed by the warmth of the fire and that of their closeness. Of the love and the light that she swore she would never endanger again._

* * *

A flex and a quiver there. A twitch and a flick in the other direction. A pause, and then one was making a fluttering motion. Yang watched each move that those ears made the best that she could with Blake tucked so close against her to the point that the furred tips brushed against her chin.

They hadn't bothered to change into their pajamas, Yang having led Blake to her bunk and refusing any deviation. Instead, they stripped what they could; Yang with her jacket, gloves, skirt, and boots, Blake of her vest, shoes, armband, and bow. It was the last that Yang insisted on and Blake hadn't put up a fight.

The faunus was asleep now, having done so almost as soon as Yang joined her on the mattress. Having fought it off for so long and building up such a huge demand for sleep, it had taken advantage of Blake's show of weakness immediately with Yang having been convinced that she wasn't going to make it to her bed. Despite what had to be her deepest sleep, her cat-like ears continued to move, giving Yang this show that was occupying her time.

It had amazed her when she saw them for the first time of just how much they could move and she wondered just how that black bow was able to keep each movement concealed. It still amazed her now but with that amazement was something else: sadness. Each motion of those ears carried with it an emotion that desired to be expressed. Binding those ears and hiding them from sight was hiding a part of Blake from everyone else.

Yang had confronted her about it once. While Blake had revealed everything to her, she hadn't stopped wearing her bow. Their teammates had forgiven and accepted her, their friends in JNPR became entrusted with her secret, and now there were others like Sun and Neptune who knew. Yet still she wore it.

"I just want to avoid unnecessary attention," Blake had explained.

"By hiding," Yang pointed out with a frown, having made clear beforehand as to her feelings on that.

"Not everyone is ready to accept the faunus, even here at Beacon. For now, I just want to avoid unnecessary attention and have people see me for who I am." She refocused on the book she was reading. "Not what I am."

Yang quietly regarded Blake before moving to take a seat at her side. "But being a faunus _is_ part of who you are."

Her partner sighed, snapping her book shut so that she could properly face her. "Yang, I spent most of my life trying to change the world and willingly exposing myself to the opinions of others. I won't say that hiding from them is the right choice nor is it one that I prefer to make but I will say that it's more than just necessity. This time, for this life, I want to take it slow and try to ease into this by having those we know accepting me bit by bit. I don't want them to think of me as part of a race that's different from them and I don't want to force them to see and accept me as a faunus."

"I still don't like it."

"I'm happy right now," Blake said. "At the beginning of first semester, I didn't think I'd be able to be this happy." She leaned over to rest her head against Yang's shoulder who responded by throwing an arm around hers. "You're my world, and I can settle with that."

Yang sat there for a moment, then she snorted. "Was that something you took from your book there?"

Blake nuzzled her cheek against Yang's shoulder, a ripple of amusement going through her. "It might've been."

"You say my puns are bad but then you pull out such a corny romance line." Yang kissed Blake's upturned cheek, giving her a squeeze to go with it. "We'll make this work."

Back in the present, Yang noticed how Blake's cat ears had stilled, the little movements that she had drawn entertainment from having ceased. Acting on a whim, she focused on flaring out her Aura.

She got a reaction instantly. Those cat ears suddenly stood high in attention and the grip that Blake had on her tightened, the faunus shifting deeper against Yang's front. What Yang couldn't see but feel was how Blake's Aura reached out in response, the energies of her soul clinging and twining around Yang's own.

Blake was more of the romantic but even Yang could make out the picture here. Blake curled up against her, taking shelter within her arms, their hair as entwined as their souls. The shadow beneath the sun.

 _To be the pillar from which your shadow is cast,_ Yang remembered. _The shadow cast by your light._

Those had been the final lines of each of their oaths for their bonding. Oaths made by their heart's desires. Blake to separate from her past and embrace the future, and Yang who would be the one to help lead her to it.

When those ears stopped moving again, Yang was tempted to encourage just a bit more by blowing a quick breath into those ears, causing them to flutter. It ended up not solely the ears that moved, Blake shifting and then opening her eyes with a groan.

"Sorry," Yang apologized when those sleep-heavy ambers stared up at her. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"What were you doing?" Blake murmured tiredly.

"Admiring your ears."

Blake tilted her head. "…My ears?"

"Yeah. They were moving a lot even though you were sleeping." Yang stroked a finger behind one of them, getting it to twitch. "I thought it was cute."

With them being this close with their Auras touching and Blake's defenses down, Yang was able to detect Blake's sudden unease, her partner tilting her head down to get her cat ears to disappear beneath Yang's chin. Thinking that she said something wrong, Yang immediately began to apologize. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make fun or anything."

"No, I know you aren't," Blake assured. "You were the one who said what I had always wanted to hear when you saw my ears. About being beautiful, about being able to live my life no matter what others say."

Yang hummed in acknowledgement.

"With that in mind and all you've done for me, I had been thinking that I hadn't really been that good of a … _girlfriend_ to you."

How Blake said the word was what Yang had already expected when she and Blake started their relationship. She expected it to be slow, having assumed correctly that this wasn't something that Blake was used to or had ever done before. And then there were the other factors that she began to list off. "I don't mind. To be fair, I suppose that this might've been a bad time to start a relationship. Bad guys doing bad things and us trying to stop them when we're supposed to just be studying and training to become Huntresses."

"It's not just that," Blake said, her voice still heavy with exhaustion. "You and the others were right about letting the White Fang get to my head and I know that I hurt you. Not just by what I said but what I was doing to myself."

"It's all right," Yang responded, her stroking moving from Blake's ears to her black hair and down her back. "You're getting the rest you need now. Go back to sleep, Blake."

Blake breathed in and out deeply and when Yang brought her fingers back to those cat ears to scratch near the backs, those breaths became gratified purrs that she hoped would help.

"I don't-" A yawn interrupted her and just before Yang's ministrations finished her off, she murmured, "I don't want this to end…"

The fear of such a thing, dwelling deep within Blake's heart, was palpable enough that it stung Yang's and the blonde could comprehend just what it was that had made Blake push herself so hard – not just within the past few days but for the weeks that led up to this.

This all happened before. Once, there had been a Blake Belladonna who hadn't needed bows or lies to hide who she was. Even if there were those who hated her for what she was, she had been able to hold herself up proudly, with friends and comrades who liked and supported her for who she was. Then it all fell apart – her beliefs corroded, her friends now monsters with her closest one having hurt her, and she herself carrying a piece of the blame that they all shared.

Coming to Beacon, making new friends who accepted her with one who loved her, and finding another duty that she could uphold with pride…she should be happy now, her worries able to be left behind.

In reality, it was the opposite.

This had been exactly what Blake wanted to avoid. She came to Beacon completely closed off, intent on keeping everything to herself. What she now had instead were more and more people finding out who she was with her true self slowly being brought back to be exposed to the world. Even her and Yang…it was all too fast and too similar to how it had once been before.

And now there was the White Fang and how they were gaining so much momentum in Vale. The war that had torn Blake's previous life apart and sent her into hiding was here again, setting the stage for a potential repeat to do the same to this one.

_But she didn't have me last time._

Yang had the advantage of being the one who Blake trusted the most and the bond they had would offer a steady and stable platform to help Blake overcome whatever may be in store for them. She earned Blake's trust and love but the difficult parts had only just begun. She needed to be there, at Blake's side, to help her keep going until she could reach that moment in her life where she will truly be free and honest with herself.

"I'll be there every step of the way," came Yang's whispered pledge, the same one that she had made so long ago and one cat ear turned in order to hear it. She kissed the top of Blake's head and held her tight. "I promise."

* * *

Ruby rolled onto her back, unsure of this restlessness that was keeping her up as she stared at the ceiling of RWBY's dorm room.

After she and Weiss returned to the school's grounds, they had parted at the airship; Ruby to the dorm, Weiss to somewhere that the young leader didn't know, only getting an explanation that there was something that her partner needed to do. When Ruby entered the room, it was to immediately see her sister and Blake curled up together on the latter's bunk and sleeping peacefully.

The good mood that Ruby had been feeling since her and Weiss's trip to buy dresses together was made even better upon seeing them. She had all but skipped to the team's shared closet, hanging up her dress and taking a quick shower with her humming a tune during the whole process, thinking about the dance that was to take place tomorrow.

Whenever she had thought of the dance, she had done so with a measure of dread. She hadn't lied to Weiss when she said she never really experienced one before and the whole concept of dancing hadn't sat well with her – something that she didn't mention. Dancing with someone, especially with a random stranger, felt too weird. That and, as Weiss saw, dancing itself – with high heels no less –, was not part of Ruby's set of skills. At all.

Then there was the fact that no one had asked her out, meaning that if she did attend, it would be without any kind of dancing partner. And that meant she would probably end up standing in a corner somewhere awkwardly while watching everyone else have a good time.

Ironically, it was actually that that made her feel _good_ about it. Going over what she and Weiss spoke about and how much the heiress was looking forward to it, followed by it being so obvious that Yang got Blake to calm down so those two may be ready to go and have fun too…it might really be nice to attend and see everyone else having fun. So, after toweling herself off and putting on her pajamas, Ruby had gone up to her bunk with the idea of a nice, peaceful sleep.

But here she was now, tossing and turning within her bunk, bothered by something that she couldn't figure out. Eyes still on the ceiling with one arm tucked behind her head and the other across her chest, Ruby couldn't help but feel like something was…off. Something…

Unconsciously, the hand at her chest moved, fingers brushing along the center of the heart-shaped Beowolf of her black top.

The darkness of the dorm room was cut by the light that streamed in from the hall thanks to the door opening and closing slowly, the latest arrival taking care to remain as quiet as possible. Ruby sat up in her bed, already assuming who it could possibly be. "Weiss?"

She tried to remain silent but Ruby still heard her quiet footsteps. They paused at Ruby's voice, but then moved on as if Weiss hadn't heard her. There came a pair of _thuds_ , one after the other, which Ruby knew to be Weiss kicking off her boots. There was a different noise that wasn't normal though, the crinkling of plastic at the edge of Weiss's bunk and then the squeaking of springs as the heiress dropped onto it.

Ruby frowned curiously, that same feeling of something being wrong made even worse by Weiss's actions. She hadn't taken the time to change into her gown or bother with a shower. "Weiss?"

"Go to sleep, Ruby," came the terse response.

That didn't sound like the Weiss that Ruby had spent the afternoon with. Curiosity switching to concern, Ruby slid the curtains of her bed to the side and dropped down to the floor.

Weiss's boots had indeed been kicked off at the side of her bed where they laid sloppily on the floor. The crinkling that Ruby heard earlier was the plastic cover that she knew without needing to look closely was what held Weiss's chosen dress for the dance. It had been thrown just as carelessly as her boots at the edge of her bed, half of it hanging off and touching the floor.

Weiss was resting on her side, her back pointed to Ruby. The position let Ruby know for sure that, while she had taken off her boots, Weiss had kept everything else on, including her jacket.

"Weiss?" Ruby questioned again. "Is something wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong," was her reply, as curt as the last. "Go back to bed, Ruby."

But there was definitely something wrong. Other than how Weiss was acting, there was that odd feeling that told Ruby that there was something that was upsetting her. Kneeling down next to her bed, Ruby reached over, a hand clasping Weiss's shoulder.

The fencer curled into herself. "Go away. Don't touch me."

It was a defensive measure of Weiss's, one that only Ruby could get around. Despite her attempts at shutting her out, Ruby caught subtle sensations. Embarrassment. Shame. Confusion. The more Weiss tried to lock them away and keep them to herself, the more they stood out to Ruby thanks to their bond.

"Okay," Ruby quietly said but didn't let go. Even if she didn't know what was making Weiss feel this way, she had learned the proper methods of helping her.

She was rewarded for her efforts. While Weiss didn't turn to face her, her hand slowly came up, finding and gripping tightly to Ruby's.


	8. Dance Dance Infiltration

_Though by herself, having separated from Ruby at the platform and leaving her to return their team's dorm while she went to complete her own private mission, Weiss didn't feel the least bit alone. And how could she on a night like this?  
_

_They returned late, and they were able to see for themselves that the moon was in its rare lunar phase with its undamaged face being presented to better cast its pale light to establish an ethereal glow over the surrounding landscape. Weiss had been slow to get off the platform, donating a few seconds to admire the vastness of the wide open fields that surrounded the docks and the main path that led to the collection of high towers and arches that made up Beacon Academy._

_She had experienced this sense of openness and freedom before: from her first time entering Beacon's grounds and many other instances after. It was exceptionally poignant this night._

_Things were going well - as perfect as they could be which included the alignment of the stars, Weiss only having to glance up to see the twinkling shroud that filled the night sky to take the meaning literal as well as metaphorical. Yang had succeeded with Blake, she and Ruby spent a pleasant day out selecting dresses and other accessories, and what preparations that were needed for the dance could be finished before it began. This included getting a date for it._

_The thought encouraged the swarm of butterflies to take flight within her stomach, providing her with the proper lift that had her feet nearly floating along the stones of her chosen path through the courtyard. The chirping song of real, nocturnal insects echoed all around her, adding to this feeling of liberation._

_All of this was of her doing and that was what was responsible for this elation. Everything that she had now and what she would be experiencing later was due to her own choices. No obligations, no duties. She was doing this simply for herself and the freedom of making such decisions was such a new but satisfying sensation that she was basking in._

_Getting to the heart of Beacon added to it; its courtyard as empty and open with the majority of students and professors having retired to their quarters. Weiss was heading to the dormitory that had been reserved for housing the exchange students. Though she had the hindsight to locate the building itself beforehand, she didn't know the exact floor and room of her objective. Her mood was too good to be dampened by that negligible bit of unpreparedness and she countered that a couple questions to the right people once she arrived could fix that._

_Her perceived good fortune continued when she happened to catch her quarry walking outside the dormitory, the timing impeccable. "Neptune!"_

_Almost as soon as she called him did she remember that she was still carrying her dress. No matter. Nothing that a bench that seemed so conveniently-placed to suit her needs to create a presentable image couldn't fix as she left the dress and the protective plastic laid out across it before continuing on._

_When she crossed the remaining distance to stand near him, Neptune had already stopped and turned around to face her, smiling that cool smile of his. "Oh hey, what's up?"_

_"I know this is a little unorthodox," Weiss started, instinctively making and holding eye contact with him, "but I wanted to ask you something."_

_It had been lectured into her time and again to the point where it was second nature but for some unexplainable reason Weiss found that she was incapable of keeping her gaze locked with his. It didn't help that her bodily functions were performing so strangely with her heart doing odd somersaults within her chest. Choosing to stare at the ground to hide the visible traces of her embarrassment for how she was acting, the action was accompanied with an odd crossing of her arms behind her back and she could see how the toe of one boot was digging into the stone._

_Why was she acting like this? She couldn't count the number of times that she had been approached by boys who asked for her company which she then turned down with unshakable dignity._

_It was because it was the first time that she was the one who was doing the asking. She shouldn't be as nervous as she clearly was though as she was Weiss Schnee: a daughter of the distinguished Schnee family. She should have nothing to worry about, the answer to the question she was about to utter obvious. Any boy would – or so they said – do anything for the chance of accompanying her to a dance like the one tomorrow night._

_But none of them were like Neptune either. Smart, funny, and although she detested using the vocabulary so, she had no choice but to think of the word_ cool _as she hadn't been compelled to think the same thing about anyone else before._

_It was just adding to everything else that was hers. Her dance, her preparations, her dress, and now her dance partner. Maybe it was starting to be too much, even for her, to the point where she wondered how this could be all so perfect even if she had full control of it, meaning that it should be expected._

_She mustered up her courage regardless, forcing herself to look back up at Neptune and voice her request. "Would you…like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?"_

_She detected the moment that Neptune needed to understand pass and then he was smiling awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, the dance. Yeah, that's tomorrow, isn't it?"_

_Weiss nodded a bit too quickly, knowing that her own smile was just as awkward but, like everything else, she didn't have it in her to pay it any mind as she waited for his answer, sure of what it would be._

_"Um, about that…"_

* * *

With one final tug, Blake finished affixing the bow to the top of her head. It wasn't her usual black bow but one of a deep turquoise that she had chosen for a more festive appeal. For this night, she was determined to keep it gloom-free wherever she could.

She tried to keep black as much out of her outfit as she could except for the small touches, letting a dark but more enchanting purple take up the majority of her dress. After making sure that everything was in place, she stepped out of the team's bathroom and into the main dorm room.

She was mildly surprised to find Ruby sitting on Weiss's bunk, her leader having not been in the room when Blake went to change. The younger girl was also in what had to be her own chosen dress for the dance which, with a quick glance at the clock, told Blake that it was to start in an hour. _I must've been in there longer than I thought,_ Blake mused, truly amazed that she had not heard any sign of Ruby beforehand. Then again, this was the first time she ever really tried to 'dress up'.

Ruby didn't seem to be any more confident than Blake was with how she held up her one hand in front of her face, the other holding a tiny brush dipped in red nail polish that she was bringing to one nail _very_ slowly, as if afraid that one errant twitch could mess up the work that she hadn't even started on as the faunus was able to see that none of the girl's nails were currently painted.

She had a feeling that her presence was an excuse for Ruby to put it off a little longer with how quick she dropped hand and brush in order to face Blake with a smile. "Hey, you're done!" Her lips stretched even further when she took in Blake's attire. "I guess you really are going then?"

"It would appear that way," Blake replied with a small smile of her own.

"That's great! I know Yang will be happy!"

"Is she already there?" With only one hour left until the start of the dance, Blake figured that her girlfriend would be there by now.

This was confirmed with a nod from Ruby. "Yeah. She wanted to help with any finishing touches with Weiss and then start welcoming in the guests to help get everything going."

"Weiss is already there too?" Blake asked. She hadn't seen the white-themed girl at all throughout the day although, with her and Yang being the primary planners and Blake having spent most of her time in the city doing her errands, this wasn't a surprise.

"I think she may've been there since this morning." Ruby gestured to what she was doing before. "I was hoping that she would stick around and help me with this since she did pick this out for me but…" She shrugged. "I guess she really wants things to go well at the dance."

Her smile thinned a bit but Blake didn't read it as any more than mild disappointment. "Would you like some help?"

She may as well have thrown Ruby a lifeline with how she instantly brightened with relief. "Yes!" She held up the small bottle of nail polish. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

Blake snagged one of their desk chairs, dragging it opposite of where Ruby was seated before sitting down on it. The scythe-wielder held up her hand, Blake gingerly taking it and coaxing Ruby to spread her fingers apart before she reached over to take the nail polish. This wasn't exactly something that she had done before either but she had a basic idea for proper application, dipping the brush in the bottle but not bringing it directly to Ruby's nails, instead dragging it along the lip of the bottle to get a bit of the excess off so it wouldn't drip.

With a squint to her eyes, Blake made the first careful drag along Ruby's thumbnail, thinking it was best to start there to get it down and she experienced a flash of success when there came a perfect red line down the middle of the nail. Just as she was about to finish the rest though, Ruby curled her thumb, Blake just barely avoiding getting it on Ruby's skin.

"Sorry," Ruby apologized when Blake glanced up at her, grinning sheepishly. "It tickles."

"Try to control yourself," she advised, waiting until Ruby stilled before she moved the brush side-to-side, completing the coat. She admired her handiwork, Ruby tilting her head to get a look too, and her expression said that she was happy with it.

One down, nine to go, and Blake was beginning to think she had gotten lucky when she started moving to Ruby's other fingers, the surface area she was given to work with shrinking and causing her to be more careful. This wasn't just in applying the polish either as, despite her best efforts, Ruby twitched whether due to the slight tickle of the brush on her finger or what was becoming clear to be an inability to stay still, the girl needing to squirm here and there on the bed. Blake managed to pull off a save most of the time but a twitch of Ruby's middle finger while she was painting it resulted in a red splotch near the top joint.

"Sorry," Ruby spoke again, but not for the last time as a similar thing occurred at her ring finger.

"Moving is going to make this go longer than it needs to be," Blake patiently stated, taking a sheet from a box of tissue paper that they grabbed after realizing that they were going to need them and doing her best to wipe away the splotch without ruining what was already on Ruby's nail.

"I'm trying to stay still but it's hard!" she whined.

"Think about something to take your mind off it." Discarding the tissue once the skin was clean, Blake retook the brush to continue. "Like what you're going to do at the dance."

Ruby was about to make a move but stopped herself just as Blake was about to touch her nail. "Probably just stand around and watch you and Yang dance together while Weiss dances with Neptune."

'You and Yang' echoed in Blake's mind, causing her to pause with the image of Ruby standing there, watching her older sibling dancing with her faunus girlfriend. A girlfriend who had caused her and the team so much trouble, forcing Blake to remember not only the confrontation yesterday but their previous incidents.

Blake knew that it was nearly impossible for Ruby to have any kind of hateful bone in her body, her innocence and sometimes child-like behavior making it difficult for her to think of Ruby possessing any kind of lasting animosity towards anyone. Out of all of her teammates, she was probably the one who Blake had to worry the least about when it came to making her angry.

It was more than her own actions that had Blake suddenly thinking about Ruby in this way. It was also what Yang had revealed to her concerning their parentage. She wondered, after Summer's disappearance, how much of Yang's older sister duties while she and Ruby had been growing up became of a more…motherly sort. Blake did remember how much Ruby had stuck to her sister's side during their start at Beacon with Yang trying to push her into making new friends to the point of dragging her over to Blake during their first night in the auditorium.

It led Blake to becoming more mindful of their relationship…and how she may be interfering with it. "Ruby."

"Yeah?"

This was probably something she should attend with sooner rather than later. With the added bonus of maybe getting Ruby to hold still and allow her to finish, Blake pursued with, "I want to talk about your sister. Well, your sister and I."

Ruby blinked curiously at her. "Uh huh?"

"We're dating now." She immediately ridiculed herself at stating the obvious with Ruby herself having asked and she and Yang having answered truthfully that they were, to quote, 'together-together'. "I know you said you were okay with it but I want to know if you really aren't…troubled by it." Focusing on Ruby's pinkie in order to avoid looking at the girl directly, Blake resumed painting. "You two have always been close and I don't want you to think that I'm getting in your way, especially because of recent events. I mean, after hiding my identity for so long and me dragging you all into stopping the White Fang, I understand if you feel uncomfortable with me suddenly being so close to your sister after all that."

"I already forgave you about hiding about being a faunus of the White Fang," Ruby answered earnestly. "We all did. I do understand why you did it and I want to stop them as much as you do." She chuckled almost as soon as she said it. "Well, maybe not _as_ much as you but I know part of the reason why you were working so hard is because you don't want us or anyone else getting hurt."

Blake nodded, not trusting herself to speak. By then she was finished and Ruby lifted her hand to inspect her fingernails which, Blake thought, went well with Ruby's dress. The pleased smile on the girl's face said that she was thinking the same thing.

"As for you and Yang…" Ruby lowered her hand to better stare at Blake. "She's happy and I want her to be happy. Yang had always looked after me when we were growing up. Read me stories, beat up any kids who were picking on me at school, making sure to take care of me when I was sick whenever our dad was busy. I love her for it but sometimes I worry about her since she never really had someone who was there to look after her or make sure she was always happy. When you and her became partners, I was glad that she ended up with someone she can work with and kick as much butt as she can."

Blake couldn't help but smirk at what was clearly a compliment.

"And with you being her girlfriend and all…I guess it was kinda weird at first but seeing her so happy and there being someone who can do what I never could makes me relieved. As long as you keep making her happy, I don't have any problem."

"I will," Blake swore, wishing that the words could carry more of not just the relief and the conviction but also just how _moved_ she was by Ruby's words. She used the dipping of the brush in the bottle of nail polish as an excuse to hide the building tears in her eyes in response to how lucky she was.

"But I will say something that I think our dad would say," Ruby said, holding out her other hand for Blake to do.

"And what's that?"

"I have a scythe that's also a gun." Ruby glared at Blake. "Remember that."

The glare was more adorable than menacing, proving Blake's earlier opinion of Ruby's capability to be threatening. But it had the desired effect nonetheless with Blake setting her chin determinedly in its presence. "I won't ever give you an excuse to use it."

"Then we have nothing to worry about!" Reverting back to her cheerful self, Ruby shook her unpainted hand as an order to finish.

Taking it, Blake silently swore to Ruby the same promise that she did to Yang: that she would never, _ever_ let the siblings come to harm, especially by her own hand. Her touching the brush to Ruby's nail she imagined to be her signing her name to this unwritten agreement.

"You want to know a secret?" Ruby asked when the faunus moved to the next finger.

"What?"

"I think you'll make a great sister-in-law."

A second later and it was Blake who was apologizing profusely for the line of nail polish that ran from the tip of Ruby's finger to the back of her hand.

After sufficiently cleaning up and getting the rest of Ruby's nails – with Blake warning and then watching out for Ruby touching anything before they dried -, it was about that time for them to begin making their way to the ballroom. Waiting patiently by the door, Blake watched as Ruby slipped on her pair of heels and immediately noticed how she struggled to walk in them upon making her first step to join Blake.

"Need any help?" Blake asked with a wry grin.

"Please don't start," Ruby begged, walking – the term being used very loosely - out into the hall with Blake closing the door behind them. "Weiss already made enough fun of me."

"I won't say a word, although I do wonder how you're going to make it down the stairs."

They reached the stairs in question, Ruby taking a long look at the several flights they were supposed to clear before switching to Blake, a silent plea on her features. The faunus spared her, simply holding out a supportive arm which Ruby gladly took.

They descended down the stairs together, Blake not minding the pace as Ruby stubbornly made do in order to get a better handling of walking in her 'stilts' or how her leader gripped her arm so tightly. The tiny smile that Blake tried to hide held a mix of amusement and…something else as she watched Ruby during their journey down.

_Sister…_

Blake mentally turned the word over as she viewed Ruby's young face, her visible concentration broken with moments of panic at the smallest wobble and stumble with her grip further tightening around Blake for support each time. It dawned on her that she spent so long trying to support an entire race that she was unaccustomed to what it felt like to carry the weight of a single person as she was doing so now. It kept her grounded in a unique way, limiting her thinking to a more personal level.

The wider, vaster view had left little room to think of herself. Her efforts – her life – had been dedicated to the many without thanks or recognition. When she thought of the future, she did so with her people in mind. What _they_ would be able to do with _their_ rights that she sought to attain for _them_. She had never really thought of what _she_ would do or what _she_ wanted from the future and sparing even a moment to think about it just felt so selfish and insignificant given the situation.

This was not to say that it wasn't a noble thing, but it was only with Ruby on her arm and Blake pondering about her relationship with not only her leader but her other teammates that she was able to touch on a sense of personal fulfillment that she hadn't been able to experience before. To actually have people who did think of her in return and worry about her and, as a result, unveil to her the value of her life that even she did not realize that she had. Her own wants and desires that she had neglected.

 _To be a sister,_ she thought. _To have a real family. Is that what I want? What I could one day have?_

That was _much_ further into the future though. She, Ruby, Yang, and Weiss – they had only just started their four years at Beacon. Other than the White Fang and the Grimm, who knew what else may occur during their training and what they may be thrust into when they managed to complete it. And then there were her own problems concerning her heritage and the current worldly complications with humans and faunus. It was much too early for that kind of thinking.

But to be able to think of the future with the idea that she had a more tangible place in it and that there were those who would be there to help get her situated in it…it made her feel a bit more alive than she had ever felt before.

Ruby finally managed to conquer the stairs with Blake's assistance and their pace got a little quicker once they were on the more leveled ground floor of the dormitory, soon making their way outside. Cutting through Beacon's campus, Blake could see that they weren't the only ones making the journey to the ballroom, her night vision turning the silhouettes in the distance into more identifiable forms of students whether they be home or exchange.

It was catching sight of one in particular that Blake stopped. "Ruby, do you think you'll be able to make it the rest of the way on your own?"

"Sure," Ruby answered, not quite successful in hiding her dismay when Blake pulled away from her. "I'll do my best anyway. Where are you going?"

"There's someone who I want to speak with real fast."

* * *

"Ugh, stupid, dumb…neck trap," Sun grumbled, overcome with another urge to stop and fight with his tie, specifically the sloppy knot that he constantly repositioned. He could never seem to find a perfect balance; either stuck with it being too tight that it pressed uncomfortably against his throat or too loose and the tie would swing around everywhere.

As he's done countless times before, he wondered why he was even bothering with all this trouble. Other than a tie, he had gone through a whole debate with Neptune on what he should wear. A tux was out of the question for him, yet his partner had forbidden him from going with his normal wear. After what had to be forever, they settled on a compromise with Sun proposing to a black version of his shirt and to keep it buttoned, saying that it was close enough to a tuxedo. Neptune, upon realizing that he wasn't going to be gaining any more ground, agreed on the condition that he include the long white tie.

Sun had kept everything else: his sneakers, his red armbands, and his jeans with the rolled up legs and chains hanging from his pockets. He still felt like he lost that battle.

A battle in a war that he found pointless. For all his suffering, he couldn't see what the payoff was. He didn't have a date as he was traveling to the dance alone.

"It's not about dancing," Neptune had said when Sun was finished with his latest batch of complaints. "It's about appearances! You got students from academies all over the world attending with anyone who's anyone from each one bound to be there to mingle with! We can't miss out on this opportunity to make an impression!"

"What impression?" Sun questioned with a frown. "You can't dance."

"And we're keeping _that_ a secret!" Neptune declared seriously. "If anyone asks, tell them I already danced with plenty of girls. You don't have to be specific - just say that you don't know as they weren't from our school. Actually, you can probably get away with saying that you think I danced with at least one girl from each school. Don't make up names though; we still need to play it a little safe."

Sun rolled his eyes, knowing his friend's inability to dance and how fiercely he kept that a secret. To be fair, he _had_ seen his partner dance and while it wasn't very…well… _good_ , he thought that Neptune was being too hard on himself and tried just as much to maintain a reputation that, in Sun's opinion, was mostly in his head.

 _I just hope he's not breaking any hearts of the girls who_ are _asking that nerd to dance,_ Sun thought. By then he had gotten his tie back to a tolerable level of acceptability and as it settled back against his chest, he hoped that maybe there'll be a girl in the same boat as he was.

"I knew you'd look better in a tie."

Sun slowly turned to follow the source of the mischievous voice and suddenly everything seemed worth it.

Other than him having been the one to sneak up on her on such a night like this, it had also been when she was running from her friends. The bow had been missing, showing off those cat ears that had been low and sad as her features when she turned at his comment, golden eyes glinting because of the night and the tears that had been welling up in them.

They were clear now, contributing to their extra brightness and enhanced by her smile. Her purple dress was a modest one-piece worn over a mesh top and the front straps connected to the black collar at her throat, it and a thin black belt around her waist keeping the material tight to her lithe form. The skirt hung down to her knees, a slit at each side to get it to flow graciously along her legs.

Sun stood where he was, jaw hanging, and somehow he managed to register how the tip of one of Blake's lips curved higher along with a brow, the miniscule shift complementing her mysterious nature; a quality which had instantly captured his interest when he first saw her.

He wasn't even aware that she was approaching him, only her left arm slipping through his right snapping him out of his daze when a light tug got him to begin following her. Somehow he managed to get his mouth working again to form a slow question. "So, does this mean we're going…together?"

"Technically," Blake replied with an amused smile. "I thought it would be nice to have a gentleman such as yourself to escort me to the dance."

'Escort' hung over Sun's head, waiting until he was able to understand the meaning before it dropped onto him, crushing the hopes that had taken root when he saw her and been developing when she had approached and taken his arm. "Oh, escort?"

Despite the disappointment that he felt, he wish he had done a better job at suppressing it when he saw Blake's smile vanish, the cat faunus looking up at him with some apprehension, aware that she had said something wrong. "Is that okay?"

"Oh, no; it's totally fine!" Sun tried to recover. "I'd be happy to do so, what with that being a theme we got going on between us." When he saw Blake still staring at him with bewilderment, he couldn't help but add, "But I mean, when you're walking alone to a dance, and a girl suddenly comes up to you all dressed up and charming…makes a guy think that there might've been something…more to it than that."

Blake continued to stare at him and Sun actually took some entertainment when he saw the moment when she became aware of what he was getting at: the widening of her eyes that came with their sudden stop, the suction of air, and if Sun hadn't tightened his arm, she probably would've jumped away from him. "Oh! I – uh." Her gaze shot to the ground and she took a step away. A small step, what with their arms still linked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…when I got the idea I had been thinking…"

When her arm remained locked with Sun's, she increased her efforts to separate which in turn had Sun adding more strength to keep her in place. "No, wait, hear me out."

Blake did, staying in place and forcing herself to meet his eyes. His vision may not be as great as hers in the dark, but he could pick up the embarrassment and a hint of shame with how those ambers twitched, wanting to pull away but their owner stubbornly refusing in order to show how she wished to correct the wrong she unintentionally made.

And Sun did believe it was unintentional. For all the mystery and professionalism that Blake had exhibited when it came to working out in the field, Sun was witnessing a more awkward faunus girl bumbling her way through more normal interactions. It was all kind of funny, and it helped relieve the sting from earlier.

"You didn't mean any harm," Sun said. "I believe that." He shrugged. "And I guess I should've known better considering that you and Yang are together."

Blake blinked at him in surprise but he could feel how her arm relaxed against his. "She told you?"

Sun smirked. "I guessed, and it looks like you confirmed it. You guys did kind of make it obvious for me though – Yang more than you but I've seen how you've looked at her." His smirk lengthened when he caught the darkening of Blake's cheeks but it shortened a moment later. "I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up like that."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It wasn't your fault."

"Some of it was," Blake argued. "It definitely was just now. I was thinking of the night when we met and how you've accompanied me into such dangerous situations and I thought that maybe I could make it up to you in this small way. I wasn't thinking enough apparently."

"Nah, it's no problem. You're good at fighting, being all sneaky and quiet, and great when it comes to ruining Torchwick's day. You just happen to be terrible at putting guys down gently – which is why you're not going for them I guess."

His lack of hostility and how Blake gave him her usual look of annoyance told him that everything was still right between them. With a roll of her eyes, Blake said, "I don't know about that. This is all still new to me so I can't be sure about what I do and do not 'go for'."

Sun couldn't help but bark out a laugh which got Blake to hold up a hand to hide her own traces of mirth, a short giggle escaping. The air better cleared, they restarted their journey to the ballroom joined at the arms but doing so in a more comfortable fashion.

"Seriously though," Sun said. "I'm fine with it and think it's great. After bumping into the White Fang and all this focus on race and separation, even a guy like me can see what makes what you and Yang have so special."

"I don't disagree, but that's something a part of me wishes wasn't so," Blake replied. "About it being special in the sense of a faunus and human being able to be together. Much like everything else, that's something I want to be defined as 'normal': that faunus and human couples are as natural as faunus and faunus or human and human." It was a sad frown that marred her features. "As happy as Yang and I are right now, I still worry about the trouble that I'll bring her with that remaining to be such an issue. I'm aware of how silly it is with worrying about something like that considering all the more immediate and life-threatening dangers that surround our lives with our career paths but it still sneaks up on me too often for my liking."

Finding the frown to be too depressing on a girl dressed up for a night of fun, Sun thought of a perfect way to turn it around. "Sounds like someone who's speaking long-term for their relationship." Grinning slyly, he said, "I didn't think Bellabroody could think so far ahead there."

He got the desired response, Blake looking at him with shock and color flooding her features, chasing away the gloominess. When she turned away, it was with a mumbled, "Shut up."

Grinning from ear-to-ear, Sun took it upon himself to continue leading them, what with Blake being so intent to look as far away from him as possible even if it meant not keeping an eye on the path. Beneath the humor though, Sun recognized the hurt that came with the rejection.

He found Blake interesting, going as far as to say as attractive, and he only had to glance her way to support that claim. Being a faunus just like him added to that. She was also smart, a great fighter, but very aloof and he was sure it would've been fun to try and get closer and learn more about her as he had attempted to do once he settled into Beacon. In that respect, nothing really changed: he could still work with her and still learn about her, but he was now barred from doing so at a deeper level.

True, there was a feeling of sorrow at the loss and, immature it may be, he couldn't help but wonder if things would've been different if he had been 'first'. On the other hand, he couldn't throw away the possibility that, other than being of the same race, he was really attracted to the aura of secrecy surrounding Blake and if he ever got to the 'real' Blake, he and she wouldn't have been as compatible as he fantasied them to be.

Meanwhile, someone else was able to uncover the real Blake and the attraction between the two of them seemed protective, loving, and very much mutual. Even in the face of his loss, Sun could respect that and concede defeat with no lingering bitterness.

"I'm still mad at you but if you haven't found some other girl to dance with - one who I'm sure would be lucky to have such a guy like you -, I'd be happy to save you a dance," Blake offered.

"I may hold you to that," Sun accepted with a smile.

* * *

"Enjoy your night!" Yang said to the latest couple, waving them to the center of the ballroom where the tranquil melody of violins issuing from the speakers would take over in easing them into the gentle murmurings of conversation of the other attendants.

There was already a large crowd, the students of numerous years and the occasional professor who huddled close to one another in order for words of their groups to be shared. Although opening dances were performed, a break had fallen over the gathering in order for the last of the guests to properly situate themselves and link up with their chosen dates or socialize with friends. A few couples remained in each other's arms while their bodies swayed, seemingly lost in a universe that was only reserved for them and the beat. Along with the decorations, the dim lighting, the near-dark ceiling, and the chandeliers that reflected what little light that was offered, Yang hoped that those little details were enough to give everyone an impression that they were talking or dancing beneath a night sky.

With her alone until the next set of arrivals, Yang watched events transpire while remaining at her spot at the podium. Watched as students drifted on and off the dance floor with some smiling with their dance partners, others tentative as they were picked up from their lonely seats at the side when approached by an interested individual. There were those standing around at the punch bowl and sampling what the buffest had to offer, the caterers having recently finished retrieving trays of prepared food from the galley and laying them out along with the bowls, plates, cups, and cutlery needed.

The sights helped her relax, reminding her of past experiences of a previous Vytal Festival, of her other dances at Signal, and occasional celebrations that the islanders of Patch partook in which was when Taiyang and Qrow were able to take the time off to watch their much younger girls have fun. Happy moments that she held and cherished. It made her wish that another was here to experience what was in front of her and store it for fond recollection.

She hadn't pressed the issue with Blake, content with the hours that her girlfriend was able to lay in bed and sleep within the comfort of her arms and presence. Agreeing with Weiss's assessment of what Blake really needed – sleep, and to know that Yang would be there for her -, Yang had woken up and gone on ahead to help Weiss in finishing setting up while she left Blake to relax. There was no need to keep pushing the faunus into things she may not be comfortable with yet: best to let her go at her own pace when it came to fitting more properly into society.

Yang heard the doors to the ballroom open up behind her and she quickly straightened and turned to greet the arrival. What she ended up doing instead was throw her hands up to her mouth and hop in place excitedly as she squealed, "Oh, you look beautiful!"

Ruby said nothing at first, too busy shuffling ahead through the doors and letting them close when she was clear. "I still have no idea how Weiss fights in these," she muttered.

Yang only laughed as Ruby braved the rest of the way to her. Grabbing her scroll from its place on the podium, Yang snapped pictures of each of her baby sister's awkward, wobble-stricken steps.

So intent on making sure one foot managed to at least make it front of the other, it was when Ruby nearly bumped into the podium that she saw what Yang was doing and her hands swung around to obstruct the view of the scroll. "Yang, no!"

"But you're so adorable!" Yang's arm broke through Ruby's feeble defenses and wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her closer and holding the scroll out to snap a couple of them together. It was a chore, what with Ruby fighting against her and valiantly turning her head away from the scroll but Yang was sure that she could find a couple good ones out of the dozen she took.

Satisfied, she let Ruby go and had to smother more giggles as her sister flailed about and managed to save herself by grabbing onto the podium. With Ruby busy steadying herself, Yang used the chance to quietly admire her.

 _My baby sister just keeps growing up,_ she thought wistfully, witnessing another milestone reached in Ruby's life. The years clouded her memory but Yang remembered the photos in their family albums that featured a toddler Ruby first learning to walk on her own two feet. That mix of pride and sadness set in with Yang combating the latter with the thought that, for this year and the three others ahead, she was granted with such fortune to at least be given a front row seat to watch her continue to grow.

"Did you pick the outfit out yourself?" she asked.

"Do you think I'd include these if I did?" Ruby returned, shaking a heel-clad foot for emphasis. "Weiss actually helped me pick it out yesterday." She swiveled her head around. "Is she here?"

"Mmm…" Yang copied Ruby, taking a look around for her co-planner. "Should be. I think she was talking to the caterers when they were bringing out the food, last I saw." She didn't see Weiss at the buffet table now though and she only kept up her search for a few more seconds before ending it, sure that she would find her later. "No date?"

Ruby shook her head which had Yang being conflicted of whether it was a good or bad thing to not see her on someone's arm. No, definitely bad; she didn't think she'd have it in her to see Ruby growing up _that_ fast. "No, but I thought I'd come and watch you guys enjoy yourselves."

"Won't be much of a show there," Yang pointed out. "I can't speak for Weiss but I'll still be here greeting guests for a little longer. I did make sure that some _good_ stuff was on the menu with Weiss's 'finger food'." She added the air quotes to the last and was about to list more of her improvements until she happened to see Ruby's changing expression. "What?"

"Nothing!"

Yang's brows lowered at her. There was _way_ too much scheming in that slow grin of hers, Ruby attempting and failing spectacularly on preventing the grin from not only showing up but spreading all across her face. "You're still a bad liar." She began to step around the podium and she lifted her hands, fingers wiggling dangerously. "And I remember how to deal with bad liars."

Ruby instantly became stricken at seeing those threatening hands, looking like she wanted to flee but was just as reluctant to follow through. It gave Yang the opportunity to grasp her arms while they remained fastened to the podium. "Yang, wait! Don't!"

"No, no, little sister," Yang rebutted, her tone growing more and more ominous while her fingernails tapped against Ruby's captured forearms, causing the smaller girl to grow pale. "You're hiding something, and with no one here to distract me or save you, I think I'll have some fun finding out what that is."

Just as she said it, the doors once again opened and Yang performed a quick glance, a reflexive greeting on the tip of her tongue that she would utter to see them off before she would begin her interrogation. But then she found herself doing a quick double-take with whatever she was about to say being forgotten when she saw Sun walking in and at his arm was…

Well, that was when Yang stopped thinking. And breathing. She was pretty sure her heart decided to stop too.

Against the sauntering, mesmerizing embodiment of beauty and grace, she really stood no chance. That went double for how said embodiment of beauty and grace had attention solely on Yang, golden eyes drawing the blonde in.

"Thank you, Sun," beauty and grace spoke, unhooking her arm from around the monkey faunus.

"No sweat."

There was a heavy amount of humor in Sun's tone but Yang wasn't aware of it. Nor was she aware that Ruby had managed to escape her numbed hold and was standing off to the side with Sun so that the two could watch with big, stupid grins. The only thing that existed for her right now was her beautiful girlfriend standing in front of her, hands folded and pressed against her legs, waiting expectantly for Yang to say something. An eternity – or that was how Yang perceived it anyway – was apparently enough of a wait as Blake tilted her head and said, "Hello, Yang."

"Habauwa." Huh, her mouth wasn't working. Oh, that was because it was busy trying to touch the floor. With a _click_ of her jaw, Yang fixed that but there was still a small knot at her tongue when she finally replied, "Blake. Hello."

"Man, even I didn't look that bad," Sun whispered quietly to Ruby, eliciting a giggle from her.

The spell that had been cast kept up its work, Yang ignoring them and instead being drawn to the movement of Blake's arm being held out to her while her head motioned to the dance floor; another component of this spellcraft she was sure. "Would you care to dance?"

Yang wouldn't be able to recall it but suddenly her hand was in the smooth grasp of the faunus while her answer was made for her. "Yes." Further distracted by Blake's bewitching smile, she didn't know how she was able to speak her last words to her sister as she was led away. "Take over for me, Rubes."

She was pretty sure she heard an affirmative but after that Yang's hearing was devoted to those violins that became more prominent when she and Blake got to the dance floor. In light of her impaired senses, she wondered if it was memory that allowed her to drop into the right position for ballroom dancing: her left hand remaining clasped with Blake's and held to the side while her other hand came around, Blake's tresses parting between her fingers so that she could touch her back. In response, Blake's hand touched her shoulder with her forearm resting against Yang's upper.

Ironic as the position made Yang the lead when it was Blake who had led her out here. Nonetheless, she instinctively fell into the slow side-to-side steps of the dance, their bodies swaying together to match the movements of the other dancers.

With Blake so close, her thoughts were still muddled as all she could focus on was Blake's bright eyes, her smile, the feel of her arm on hers, and the curve of her back she felt beneath the mesh top of Blake's dress. Thinking of that, Yang was beginning to feel very self-conscious with how plain her white one with the frilled skirt was when compared to Blake's. "The dress looks beautiful on you," Yang complimented, finally speaking clearly.

"Thank you," Blake replied, gaze flicking down while some pink tinted her features at the praise. "I picked it out earlier this morning. It was a bit sudden and I was lucky enough to get it in my size but I thought it would be fine."

Yang nodded a tad fast. "Yeah, fine. Very fine, in fact. I'm impressed. But – and please don't take this the wrong way – I hope you hadn't felt forced into this."

Blake opened her mouth to reply, paused, and gave a tilt of her head that was meant to signal a concession as she replied, "I may've felt it a little bit but nothing like what you're afraid of. I remember what you said this morning."

Yang had actually said very little. When she had gotten up and noticed Blake coming to when she was about to head out, she had approached her bed and bent down to give her a quick kiss and a suggestion that she take it easy and relax for the day by doing whatever she wanted. She purposely left out any suggestion of coming to the dance, guessing – correctly, it seemed – that with all that Blake had been doing to herself, she wasn't prepared in the least for it and Yang didn't want her to get her worried and go rushing into Vale to get a dress and whatever she needed, all of which being done at the last minute.

Even if it was clearly worth it.

"I also remember what you said to me yesterday," Blake went on. "About not letting the White Fang control me. Tonight, I'm doing what I want to do and after you left and I asked myself just what that was, I decided that I wanted to come out here and dance with you."

It'd probably be a close contest to see who's face was hotter: Yang's due to hearing how earnest Blake was when she said that or Blake for being the one who got herself to say it. They spent the next few minutes letting their cheeks cool while they danced, taking delight in each other's presence. They maintained the steady side-to-side motion but now and again Yang lifted their joined hands up and Blake obeyed the signal to spin, giving the blonde a tantalizing view of how the skirt swirled around the faunus's legs. She decided that she could get away with it a couple more times, each repeat evenly spaced out and she taking what of the sight she could when Blake was turned away from her for that split second.

"You dance very well," Blake noted when she finished the latest one.

"This isn't my first. We have our own, smaller festivals that take place on Patch and Signal had a couple school dances. It's coincidence that I happened to have my graduation dance at the end of my last year only to have the Vytal Festival occurring so soon after it." Thinking of a couple of her club activities, Yang added," I'm also what people may call a social dancer."

"I caught the hidden meaning."

"What about you? You don't seem to be a stranger to it either."

A flash of sadness passed across Blake's face and Yang already knew the answer before she gave it. "I learned to dance while in the White Fang."

Yang immediately broadcasted her apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring them up. Not on a night like this."

She felt dual squeezes at her shoulder and her hand that were held in Blake's. "I know, but there's no changing how the majority of my life is being in the White Fang so speaking anything about my past is going to include them. However, it was only five of those years that were bad. The years before those have their good moments which included ones that were worth celebrating to keep spirits up. Some of those traditions even lingered for a little while."

She stared up at some of the overhead decorations, her body still moving in time with Yang's, but visibly lost in thought. "By becoming so obsessed with stopping the White Fang and only thinking of what they're doing now or what they will do, I've forgotten some of the good things of what they used to be and how some of what they used to stand for is still around. There are old members out there that still follow our peaceful guidelines and the faunus civil rights groups that are around now are based on their previous teachings. I've been trying to keep that in mind lately – that there are still those who hold onto the same hopes that hadn't been so much forgotten as they were…obscured."

"A good way to look at it," Yang offered.

"And maybe by actually looking it more like that I won't be such a…" Blake lowered her head, so low that all Yang could see was the top of her head and her turquoise bow. She mumbled something.

Yang leaned down and better directed an ear to her girlfriend. "What did you say?"

"…Bellabroody."

Yang didn't register Blake stepping on her foot when she suddenly froze and the faunus was already halfway through her apology when she saw Yang's face and how astounded she appeared. "Yang?"

Yang didn't say a word. Didn't make a move for a full ten seconds. And then she burst out laughing. "Oh my God!"

"Shhhhh!" Blake hissed fiercely, eyes wide and head whipping back and forth.

But Yang ignored her and whatever attention they were attracting. Nearly doubled over, it was only Blake that was keeping her up as she laughed. "Just…just…" She gasped for breath, trying to form coherent sentences. "Did you seriously come up with that yourself?"

"Sun did!" Blake blurted out. "I thought it I'd give it a try."

"That is _awesome_! The guy is a genius and you have great taste! Weiss has nothing on you two!" Yang wiped at the tears that were sliding down her face, still shaking with laughter.

"Please calm down."

"That was fantastic! I mean Bellabr-hehe-Bella-hahaha!" She broke down again.

Blake pressed her face against Yang's chest to conceal her red face and to hide from the stares. "Stoooop."

Yang tried, burying her face in Blake's hair and holding her tight but she kept laughing, this being another memory that she'll be sure to never forget.

* * *

"You guys are just in time!" Ruby greeted, fulfilling Yang's previous duties for the next pair of dancers to enter.

The two this time happened to be Emerald and Mercury which had her supplying extra enthusiasm into her greeting. She was glad when Emerald returned her smile, the exchange student wearing a plain green dress that matched her name with a black sash.

Mercury was more impressively suited in a black tux with dark orange trimming and matching bowtie. He didn't return Ruby's greeting in the same manner, his smile Ruby couldn't help but see as more of a smirk as he returned, "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

The scythe-wielder couldn't help but feel like something was odd about the delivery but let it pass, instead gesturing the two to the dance floor which they approached after Mercury held his hand out for Emerald to take. Once they did, Ruby added a pair of tally marks to the sheet. She had no idea if she should be keeping count; the marks were for something else as she checked the time on her scroll and wrote it down as well.

 _The last arrivals were more than five minutes ago,_ Ruby pondered. _So that should be fine now, right?_ While she didn't have to worry about making a fool of herself by standing in one spot…she was still standing in one spot. _And I'm sure anyone who enters can see that 'Hey, there's a dance going on right there! I think that's where we're supposed to go!'_

Sighing, Ruby folded her arms on top of the podium with her chin setting itself down on them. Sun had left her to herself shortly after Blake and Yang went off to dance and the last she saw of those two was when Yang had been laughing at who-knew-what with her and Blake holding onto one another. Since then though, there hadn't been anything else to occupy her attention.

 _Can I go change back into my hood?_ Groaning in boredom, Ruby restraightened – and had to quickly save herself when she lost her balance. She glowered down at her heels. "Stupid lady stilts."

"Not enjoying yourself?"

Ruby turned at the voice, finding Headmaster Ozpin himself standing aside of her. "Oh, no!" she said quickly, shaking her head. "Everything's fine." Shrugging helplessly, she explained, "I'm just not much of a fancy-pantsy-…dancy kind of girl."

A benign smile came to the headmaster, Ruby noticing that he – and the other professors from what she saw – hadn't chosen to wear anything special for the night as he was wearing his usual black and green ensemble. He even had his signature cane planted at his feet, although sometimes Ruby wondered if he really did need it such as now with how he stood upright without any sign of the strain that would explain the cane's use.

She heard some students describe the headmaster as imposing – going as far as to say intimidating - but she never got that feeling from him. That could just be her possibly having had a bit more in the way of interaction with him, her being unsure of the exact number of times she's found herself speaking to him face-to-face and so informally. He never gave her a reason to feel any sort of apprehension around him - always polite, kind, and very relaxed. It was that kind of calming presence that he had where she could not only relax but believe that she could tell him anything without fearing any kind of harsh reprimand. The opposite of which could be said for Professor Goodwitch.

"Well you can't spend your entire life on the battlefield," he said. "Even if you may want to."

"Yeah, that lesson's been floating around a lot lately," she returned, commencing a visual search for Blake to find her and Yang in the middle of a break at the buffet table, chatting with Sun and Neptune.

"If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different." He shifted to the swirling mass of dancers. "Two partners interlocked…" There came an exaggerated incline of his chin with a noise that was made for amusement as he added, "Although one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot."

Ruby threw another glance at her feet. "Or a twisted ankle."

"It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this." Ozpin's gaze remained focused on his students. "Time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever. Nights like these are ones we'll never forget."

Ruby quietly observed him. Much like how he approached her on her first day after her altercation with Weiss, he spoke with such a warm, thoughtful tone that was tempered with the experience that a man like him must have. That kind that persuaded her to take another look at the scene before them and find the same appreciation that he had for it.

She liked to think she succeeded when she thought of how she and her teammates and their friends were all able to get together and spend a night like this in such a manner. All their time practicing fighting Grimm one day, giant mechanized battlesuits another night, and dealing with the worries and turmoil of the next engagement, and yet here they were now. Clad in dresses, dancing, making light conversation – discarding the uncertainty of what the next day would bring in favor of the pleasantries of the present.

 _It's…nice,_ she silently admitted, a little puzzled by how the gentle symphony from the speakers better washed over her in calming waves. She didn't fight it, letting it release the tension she hadn't known she was plagued with. The swaying and twirling motions of the students that were in conjunction with the instruments helped entrance her and she even began to forget about the risk of injury that depended on her continued error-free balance of the impossibly thin heels.

She could make out her professors enjoying themselves: Oobleck and Port speaking together off to the side, and, to her amazement, the investigation of the swishing ends of a torn purple cape led her to finding Goodwitch in the midst of her students, dancing with General Ironwood. She couldn't locate her fellow leader or his second in JNPR but Ren and Nora were paired up on the floor, the latter uncharacteristically quiet and pleased to be locked with her partner.

It was when she went back to inspect her team that she ran into something amiss: a member was absent.

 _Where's Weiss?_ Ruby was sure that she saw her partner somewhere, able to distinctly recall an off-centered ponytail of pure white mixed in somewhere in all of this which was supported by Yang saying that she saw her. Her first instinct was to check the dance floor again, wondering if Weiss had been cloaked from a casual scan thanks to the assembled bodies.

After what she deemed as long enough, Ruby checked back over at the dining tables or other spots where the most students were congregated. _No, not there either._

It was in the last place that Ruby decided to look that she found her. Along one side of the ballroom were chairs that formed in a single line, nearly every one occupied by a female student. Including Weiss. Whereas most of the girls were talking adamantly with each other, Weiss was sitting with a straight-back posture, one leg thrown over the other, and staring ahead.

All Ruby viewed her partner with bafflement. What was Weiss doing there? After all the work she put into it and how excited she was when talking about the dance, Ruby was sure that Weiss would've been right in the center of the action.

 _With Neptune,_ Ruby remembered, Weiss having admitted to it beforehand. _Actually…_ She turned to the other side of the ballroom where the boy in question was, still talking with Sun, Blake, and Yang.

Ruby moved back-and-forth. Back to Weiss, then Neptune, then repeating for however long it would take for her to figure out what was wrong with this picture. This was a dance. Weiss wanted to dance with Neptune. Neptune was on one side of the building, Weiss on the other. Not dancing. Not even standing close to each other.

Ruby was soon given a clue. During one return trip to Weiss, it happened to be for Ruby to witness one boy approach a girl-in-waiting a couple seats down from her. When he extended a hand and an invitation that Ruby couldn't make out, the girl reacted with surprise before it changed to one of shyness and she slowly took his hand and stood up to follow him.

Ruby hadn't been the only one watching. Weiss broke away from her focused stare to witness the newly-paired students move on together and her mask fractured long enough for Ruby to see her face and body droop with disappointment. She did recover…but not without directing that disappointment in Neptune's direction.

 _Did she not ask him?_ Grasping for answers, more so now thanks to this sudden surge of distress that was invoked by what she just saw, Ruby thought back to last night when she and Weiss split up after returning from dress shopping and when Weiss came to their dorm she was so sad and-

 _Oh._ Ruby's eyes went wide as the light bulb above her head clicked on. _Oooooh. She asked him! She asked him and he…said no?_

That had to be it and she found herself spinning to Ozpin. "Thanks for the talk, professor, I-" She yelped when she took her first step, quickly remembering her stilts problem, and she waved awkwardly at Ozpin while she corrected and pressed on. "I have something to do! Enjoy your night!"

He waved back and Ruby wondered if she had indeed caught a twinkle in his eye behind his glasses when he said, "Take care."

 _So what am I doing?_ She wasn't sure. Once she was positive that she figured out what was going on, Ruby was overcome by this urge that had her moving across the room and towards her partner, uncaring of the added trips that came with her quickened pace. With Ozpin's advice in mind and having just thought how nice everything was with everyone being happy and having fun, seeing Weiss alone and miserable was a problem she suddenly became determined to fix.

Weiss did end up noticing her. With her stumbling everywhere – so much so that she had to pause and say a quick apology to a couple students that she bumped into -, Ruby guessed that she wasn't hard to spot. The fencer wasn't particularly interested in what she was doing until she slowly understood that Ruby was stumbling towards _her_ when Ruby managed to lock eyes with her briefly.

Somehow Ruby succeeded in not ending up going face-first into the dance floor but when she did reach Weiss she was sure that she looked flustered, panting a little after her ordeal. Still, she did her best to conjure up a smile. "Weiss."

"Ruby…?" Weiss questioned more than greeted.

Neither spoke for the seconds that stretched between them after that; Weiss confused and Ruby disheveled. Weiss volunteered to break the ensuing silence. "Did you…want something?"

"Um…well, not really. I mean, I don't really _want_ anything but I saw you over here and I came here thinking that I – er – _you_ , could use something and…"

 _And just what is that?_ her brain interjected, having not been given enough time to think that far ahead.

Weiss stared up at her blankly. "Okay…?"

Ruby rubbed the back of her head nervously, having no idea on what the next step was. But looking down at Weiss, who looked back up at her in return, Ruby thought of how, once, she had been in Weiss's position. Her dreams at being at Beacon coming true only for her to realize just how alone she felt when she arrived, until someone came up to her and…

Ruby removed her hand from where it was rubbing and held it firmly out to Weiss. "Dance."

Weiss peered warily at the outstretched appendage. "What?"

Ruby cleared her throat. "Dance. I was wondering if you'd like to dance."

"With…you?"

Ruby hadn't thought that was needed but she nodded anyway. "Yeah."

She really didn't know how she could say it so calmly, becoming aware of how fast her heart was thumping within her chest when she realized, _What am I doing? I have no idea what I'm doing! What am I doing? I just said I didn't know!_

Weiss didn't make a move to accept and actually leaned away into her chair. "Ruby, that's really nice and thoughtful but I'd rather not."

"But you said how much you were looking forward to this." Ruby's kept her hand out but that was because it was really frozen there as well as the rest of her. Only her mouth was managing to move.

"I was and, no offense, but I wasn't thinking about dancing with you."

Ruby's mouth persisted in moving faster than her brain. "It should be fine though. We're partners."

"Partners in battle. In Huntressing. In studying. Not dancing."

"Well why can't it be dancing?"

"Because…because…ugh!" Weiss crossed her arms tightly over her chest while turning up her nose. "Because it just can't! Ruby, seriously, I appreciate the thought but I'm fine right here."

That would've been it. That would've convinced Ruby to drop her hand and turn away, thinking how stupid this had been and hoping that Weiss would forget about it. But then Weiss had to peek with one eye over Ruby's shoulder, towards the ongoing celebration, and Ruby was hit by this strike of yearning that reverberated deep within that spot within her heart that was Weiss.

And suddenly she was reaching out, grabbing Weiss, and she was off to the dance floor with her in tow. Her partner was uttering words of protest but Ruby had trouble making them out, too busy thinking how _totally stupid_ this was and _what am I doing_ and her thoughts were just too jumbled with how she was just standing there like an idiot with people beginning to stare and she felt like she needed to do something and she wanted to help Weiss and-

She nearly tripped again and Weiss's objections were cut off with a concerned "Ruby!" as she leapt forward. Still moving with action made way before thought, Ruby turned around, using this to her advantage to put her one hand at Weiss's waist with the other girl currently close while her hand that gripped Weiss's she held out to the side, trying to copy the stance of the other dancers.

Weiss found her own hand at Ruby's shoulder, it having conveniently managed to end up there when she tried to save Ruby from a fall that didn't happen. She didn't pull away and it appeared mostly due to how confused she looked at how they became like this. "Ruby-"

"It's fine," Ruby babbled, a strange tingling going up her fingers with how her hand at Weiss's waist was touching her bare skin that the slit on the side left exposed. _I think I'm too low, maybe higher._ She moved it higher and more to Weiss's back but the tingling persisted. _Wow, her skin is cool. Or maybe I'm just too warm and – okay, uh, step to the side?_

After a frantic check to confirm this with the others around them, Ruby tried to imitate the quick, easy move but wishing that she had paid more attention even if being in this situation had originally been an impossibility. In her hurry, she moved too fast, it and how she didn't quite land on her heel had her bumping right into Weiss.

"Ruby-" Weiss tried again.

"It's okay, it's okay!" she hurriedly assured, trying to delay the criticism long enough to get this right and maybe salvage something from all of this.

Her second attempt went better, Weiss actually following along – or just moving so Ruby wouldn't bump into her again. Whichever reason it was, Ruby tried to get the pattern down. _Step to the right and a little forward. Step to the left. Then right but also back and-_

The blasted heels would be her ruin. With her step back and to the right, her foot went out from under her, Ruby stumbling back with Weiss attempting to save her but not prevent her from colliding into another pair of dancers.

It was the annoyed glares of the two students that she interrupted that got her to cease what she finally understood to be her own idiocy. Once she was righted again, Ruby didn't try to resume. There was no thoughtless action to propel her to keep going, just an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt that had her head hanging low.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her throat seizing up while she dropped her hands and stepped away from Weiss. "This was dumb. I shouldn't have tried. I just wanted…I…"

_…I just wanted to help._

"I-I'll…leave you alone." Throat tight, cheeks red with shame, and her vision blurring, Ruby turned and began to walk away, a hand coming up to wipe at her eyes.

A gentle but firm grip took her other one before she could get too far. Ruby didn't turn back immediately, wanting to wipe at the drops of moisture that broke free, but she did stop. The grip stayed, not pulling but making sure she remained in place. Somehow she managed to hear a long breath being exhaled behind her, tinged with familiar exasperation.

"Ruby," came Weiss's voice, just as firm. "If we're going to do this, can you at least _try_ not to move like some hooligan?"

Ruby had cleared her eyes but didn't dare move. So Weiss decided to make her with a pull that brought Ruby back and turned her around.

"Hand here." Weiss followed words with action, bringing Ruby's hand to her shoulder. "And hand here." She took her other. " _I'll_ lead."

The touch on her upper back made Ruby courageous enough to bring Weiss's face back into her view. She wasn't annoyed or angry, creating an expression of patience as she positioned them into the appropriate stance. Much like a few seconds ago, Ruby was trying to catch up with what was going on, following Weiss's guidance without conscious thought.

"We'll do it slow," Weiss instructed. "No rush. Ready?"

Ruby nodded soundlessly, that bulb clicking on again when she managed to grasp what was happening.

A corner of Weiss's lip twitched. "Just watch and follow. Now, one…"

Ruby watched Weiss's right foot move back and to the side and after a moment's hesitation she followed after her with her left.

"And two…"

Her left slid back to rejoin her right, Ruby matching it.

"One…and two. One…and two. One…and two."

The pace was slower than the others but Ruby blocked out the surrounding dancers, focusing purely on Weiss's footwork and trying to copy it. Her movements weren't as graceful, particularly her landing on her heel but Weiss didn't chastise her. Her initial shaky landings resulted in the subtle pressure against her back as Weiss offered the support she needed.

"One, and two. One, and two."

Forward. Side. Back. Side. Forward. Side. Weiss took her through the pattern again and again, Ruby's confidence growing with each repetition. It showed in her feet and Weiss speaking quicker.

"One, two. One, two. One, two."

The pressure on her back lessened when she was able to match the pace, Weiss showing more of her trust which encouraged her. Soon, Weiss went quiet but her instructions kept going in Ruby's mind.

_One, two. One, two. One, two._

Eventually that mental voice was no longer needed, Ruby falling into the rhythm, her feet following and matching Weiss step for step. The heiress didn't offer congratulations but when Ruby was confident enough to lift her head, it was to uncover it in Weiss's smile.

It still wasn't perfect. Whenever Ruby completed the pattern a few times without fail, that confidence drifting into overconfidence, an unexpected twist of her foot from an imperfect landing or a similar failure in terms of balance was ready to put her right back in her place. It wasn't often, but when it did happen she was able to compensate and keep herself from looking like a fool. That and she had Weiss who withheld all judgment.

But the reason she was able to keep making those small mistakes was because they were still dancing together and it was that she concentrated on. Keeping close to her partner, following her lead, and moving in tandem with her as they waltzed amongst their fellow trainees, executing the learned maneuvers. Ruby couldn't help but find this funny.

Weiss had to have picked up on it. "What is it?"

"I was thinking that that this isn't really that much different from fighting after all," Ruby confessed. "Dancing, I mean."

"Leave it to you to say such a thing," Weiss berated but did so with a touch of that seemingly infectious humor as she looked down at their feet. "I _am_ impressed that you caught on so quickly though."

Ruby tried to keep herself from glowing at the comment, knew she wasn't succeeding as well as she wanted to, and tried to pass off the achievement modestly. "It's not perfect."

"No, but it could be worse. I could be having some bruised feet right now instead of having to occasionally save you from your own clumsiness."

"Don't jinx it." The easy banter helped to get Ruby to forget her earlier shame, now pleased with how things had turned out. She wasn't shielded from all her insecurities though, the reference to her less-than-perfect dancing and a timely example of it dulling the positive praise. "I am sorry that it ended up being me."

"What do you mean?"

"It was Neptune you wanted to dance with." Ruby felt Weiss tense through their points of contact. "I don't know what happened between you and him but after you told me how much you were looking forward to the dance and seeing you put so much work into it, I didn't want you to miss out on any of it. So when I saw you sitting there, I acted."

"Well that is what you're best at," Weiss replied. "Being so impulsive to just dive right into things. In this case though…I'll consider it as one of your rarer moments of success."

"Rarer?" Ruby repeated, pretending to be hurt.

Weiss smirked in response while Ruby lowered her brows in mock anger. Both expressions melted and they giggled lightly. When it passed though, Weiss didn't revert entirely back to the joy of the dance, Ruby able to distinguish the invisible burden that weighed down on her and what had been placed there last night. She hadn't known then what had been bothering her, giving her so little to work with, but she had given what she could even if all that was was a comforting presence.

The strategy was actually the same here and Ruby hoped it would work as well again. She wouldn't force it - she would never do that - but she would offer and if Weiss wanted then she would help like always.

"I did ask him about going to the dance with me last night," Weiss revealed, her expression somber but the admission didn't pour out as it did trickle out of the gap that began to steadily widen. "He said no."

"Did he say why?" Ruby gently coaxed.

Weiss shook her head. "No, not why. He didn't give me a straight answer anyway. All he would say was that it wouldn't work out between us." A well-known fire sparked to life beneath the icy surface of her irises, scorn lacing the repeat of the refusal, but it didn't match the full blaze that Ruby had once been subjected to alongside the hateful screams that it once powered. The memory reached out a tiny claw to encourage a scrape of fear.

It was smothered long before it could erupt, quenched by the combined emotions of what Weiss must've felt after the rejection and what Ruby had seen when she returned to their dorm.

"It looked like you guys were really getting along though," Ruby said, remembering how the two had hit it off when they met. During the time after, they always managed to drift away from the group to converse in whatever topic that piqued their interest whether it be about Neptune's home kingdom and Haven or the going-ons of Beaocn – including the dance.

"I…thought so too." Teeth bit down of her bottom lip, Weiss quietly going over what had to be the same thing. "We've only known each other for two weeks now but I found him interesting and his company…pleasant. We've talked and he was smart and funny and I thought he found me to be as interesting – he never asked a lot of questions about my family or my company."

Ruby nodded, letting Weiss know she was listening even as her partner was lost in her thoughts, dancing on auto-pilot.

"I did mention the dance a couple times to be sure that he was going to attend. I would casually drop an idea or something that Yang and I were planning for it and he would like it. He never said anything about having a date in mind so I figured that he was available and was maybe waiting for me to ask or would ask me instead. When last night came around, I was sure that he would accept my invitation and then he…didn't."

Weiss was just staring straight ahead, trapped in that moment, and Ruby could tell that she was repeatedly going over it to find what went wrong. She may not have been selected as leader but Ruby had always been impressed at the amount of planning and thought that Weiss could put into her assignments, always making sure she had prepared the facts and information to make any argument that she presented or action she took irrefutable. To do the same here and not get the results that had appeared so certain…it confounded her.

"It shouldn't have bothered me."

Ruby blinked at her soft-spoken partner. "Huh?"

"When he said no, it shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did," Weiss explained, louder this time for Ruby to hear. "It was unexpected, sure, surprising…" Her features were becoming more sullen. "Hurtful, maybe, but he's just a guy. There have been plenty of others before him and I'm sure there will be more. And it wasn't like I wasn't going to attend because of him, not with me having spent all this work planning it…even if I did think about not coming."

Whether she was aware of it or not, Weiss had begun to slow, Ruby following suit until they were just standing there. They were still holding each other but didn't make any move while the other students stepped and twirled around them.

"…Why did he say no?" Weiss finally asked and Ruby felt like the question was open for her to take.

"I don't know."

"I know you don't. I said that he didn't tell me so why would you know?" There was a flash of irritation but Ruby didn't think it was directed at her as it was at the situation in general as Weiss proceeded. "I just wish he did. After how well things were going, when I put all this effort for this night, when I was the one to come up and ask him, the least he could've done was tell me why and not just leave me standing there after saying it wouldn't work out. But what really aggravates me the most…"

Weiss took a deep breath, quelling her irritation, and when she revealed what it was she did so wearily. "What really aggravates me the most is that I'm still thinking and talking about it like this. I thought things were going well, I asked, he said no, I was proven wrong, and that should be the end of it. I'm Weiss Schnee. Why would someone of my stature be so bothered by this? Why would I let it…hurt me…like this?"

Somehow, Ruby knew what the answer to that was. "Because it's the normal thing to do."

It rang true to Ruby, not just for right now but for the past week. She hadn't been particularly excited for this, not like everyone else, and Weiss was included in that group of 'everyone'. As her best friend, Ruby had at least been there if not directly taking part in everything that Weiss did to prepare for this. Decorating, getting the right dress, the right make-up, thinking of the right date to ask out, and always approaching each step with excitement. During all that, the only thing that Ruby could think of concerning Weiss was that she was doing everything that seemed normal – which was what the heiress herself admitted to always wanting to do and be.

Sadly, rejection and the pain that had to be dealt with in its wake was also part of being normal.

After some silent deliberation, Weiss accepted it, slowly nodding her head and quietly saying, "Yes, I suppose it is."

Ruby smiled sympathetically and her hands squeezed what of Weiss she held to better transfer it. "Do you want to stop? Take a break?"

Weiss met Ruby's eyes before switching to their currently unmoving bodies and the attendants around them, staring at the last for a long while until she gave her answer. "No." Returning her gaze to her partner, Weiss took a graceful step back, Ruby instinctively following her, and then they were stepping to the side in unison. "This is a party. Might as well enjoy ourselves."

"True." Smiling the whole while as they returned to their dance, Ruby later asked, "Want to try some other moves?" Noticing how other students were doing so, she suggested, "Should we try spinning or anything like that?"

"No." As they resumed moving back and forth, side to side, Ruby saw her partner relax, the depression being lifted by the contentment that was carried in her smile and there came a slight push against her back, drawing her a tad closer to Weiss who stated, "This is fine."

* * *

With more than enough time having passed for all the possible participants to arrive, there was a noticeable shift from socializing to dancing once everyone settled themselves in. That, Neptune decided, was the moment for him to take his temporary leave.

The stairs at the back made for the best exit, leading him up to the second floor. Less crowded, but it didn't put him as out of sight as he wanted so he ventured further out and took another short flight that would bring him to the balcony. He couldn't ask for a better place since, technically, he'd still be here and anyone who happened to find him and asked what he was doing he could explain it as getting some fresh air and enjoying the view.

He wouldn't have to remain there long. Half an hour, maybe a little longer to be on the safe side, but he figured that he'd be out of sight long enough that when he returned he could pass it off as having been enjoying the party and anyone who tried to approach him for dancing he could turn away by saying that he danced enough and wanted a break. Then the rest of his night would be secure and he wouldn't have to worry about making a fool of himself. Easy.

Cold air beginning to waft in preceded the open doors to the outside. Although he didn't know why anyone would lock them, Neptune was thankful nonetheless as he made it out onto the stone balcony, the ledge decorated with potted vine plants that hung over the side.

Along with a girl in red who leaned against it, the first thing that Neptune caught being the moon-highlighted skin that the sleeveless, backless dress left in plain sight.

He came to an abrupt halt but not before his footsteps had already made noticeable _thumps_ against the stone in his haste, having assumed that the balcony would be clear. It was enough to grab the girl's attention, emerald green eyes peering at him over her shoulder and he could see the bronze circlet that was partially concealed in that long, red hair that was done up in the high ponytail.

He recognized her immediately: Pyrrha Nikos. _The_ Pyrrha Nikos. The coolest, most amazing girl on the planet and having managed to catch her here, alone, with attention on him, Neptune was petrified by her gaze.

"Hello," Mistral's three-time champion greeted, gaze turning curious.

 _Speak, stupid!_ came the mental order, the visible jerk that was the result Neptune tried to play off coolly as he dared to move further onto the balcony, waving hesitantly in greeting. "Oh, hey. I didn't think anyone was up here. You're Pyrrha Nikos, right?"

Of course she was Pyrrha Nikos. He'd have to be an idiot to not know who she was and, having been raised in Mistral and attended Sanctum before his transfer to Haven, he had actually been in the same year as her. Not that they had ever spoken to each other before, she having been on the rise to fame during then and not possessing any time to waste on someone like him.

"Yes," she confirmed, eyes squinting to better see him in the low light. "And you're…Neptune. I remember you when you introduced yourself at the library."

Neptune was both astounded and thrilled that she had deigned to remember him as he didn't recall them conversing directly during that instance in particular. "I'm flattered you do." Standing uncertainly before her, he jerked a thumb back to the ballroom, trying to keep the conversation smooth. "Cool party, huh?"

He was caught off guard when he saw her visibly hesitate. "I…wouldn't know. I arrived late."

"Oh." Probably did to make more of an impression. Neptune could dig that. "Well it seems to be going real swell. Although, ballroom dancing…" He waved his hand in a 'meh' manner. "Kind of not my thing. Thought I'd take a break up here."

Pyrrha slid over and waved at the space she cleared. "By all means."

Oh, Pyrrha Nikos was inviting him to stand next to her! He had been lucky enough to get the occasional class with her and catch sneak peeks in his own lonely spot at the corner. He felt the weakness that came over his legs but managed to stay upright until he was able to use the balcony ledge for some relief.

And they stood there together. Alone. Not talking. He was standing next to the most popular girl and he wasn't doing anything.

"You up here waiting for your date or something?" Neptune asked, the only thing he could think of as to why she wasn't down there right now.

"It's going to be a long wait," she replied, staring ahead.

"He's still getting ready, then? Kind of rude of him to keep a girl like you waiting." The attempt at flirtatious humor didn't produce anything, Pyrrha not smiling or so much as glancing his way. Thinking of a different approach, he asked, "Who's the lucky guy?"

If they managed to land Pyrrha as a date, they had to be something, especially if she was willing to wait for them. Neptune couldn't think of anyone who could manage to do that at the top of his head so he was interested to find out who they could possibly be.

The answer was not what he expected at all. "There is no guy."

She had said it quietly, reluctantly, but he managed to hear it and all he could do was stare at her in surprise. "Oh, uh, I see. Why is that?"

He thought he had an idea and it was probably similar to his. Go alone, make herself more available. A nice way to get around.

"Nobody asked me," Pyrrha answered, shocking him again.

 _Woah, okay,_ he thought, the full meaning not lost to him but he sought clarification. "Wait, nobody asked you? As in…nobody?"

Pyrrha sighed which got Neptune to notice how unhappy she looked. "Nobody."

"But that's – wait, hold on." He waved a hand up and down parallel to her. "That's crazy. You're Pyrrha Nikos. How could anyone not ask you out?"

Yeah, sure, he never would but that's because he knew that he was nowhere near good enough for her, but she couldn't be serious to say that no one had thought that they could try their luck with her. She was _Pyrrha Nikos._ Guys had to be throwing themselves at her feet for the chance.

He didn't get the reason right away, Pyrrha seeming satisfied with staring out into the night-shrouded campus. When she spoke, her gaze didn't stray. "I've…been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise…but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place. Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain."

That _had_ been what he thought just a moment ago but his initial thought was that she was talking crazy. He had seen how students crowded around her, asking for her autograph or tips. He had seen _her_ on mornings when he felt like eating some marshmellow flakes for breakfast, her face right on the cereal box. How was that a bad thing?

"It's become impossible for me to form any kind of meaningful relationship with people," Pyrrha responded to his unspoken question. She looked down at her hands folded on top the ledge, one raising up as a closed fist. "I attract fans and fame. But friends…" Her fingers opened up. "I've always repulsed them."

"So is that why you're up here?" Neptune asked, still trying to wrap his head around this. "You'd probably be the life of the party if you went down there now."

She shrugged. "There wouldn't be a point."

Okay, so she didn't have a date, and she was up here by herself. If this was what she had been planning on doing then… "Then why did you come here?"

"There was…one guy I hoped would be here and ask me," she said. "The kind of guy who I wish I was here with."

"Who?"

"Jaune."

An image came with the name: a blond, scraggly guy with mismatched armor over a hoodie. Neptune had remembered seeing him at the library as well, mostly hovering around their table while they played that card game.

In short, the kind of guy who would be on the bottom tier of the social hierarchy.

"Your leader?" he asked, incredulous. "But he's so…"

He didn't finish but he apparently didn't need to as Pyrrha said, "That's what I like about him. When we met, he didn't even know my name. He treated me just like anyone else and it's thanks to him that I've made friendships that will last a lifetime." A smile curved up onto her face, one of fondness and longing, but it fell away soon after. "But I guess I still manage to push him away too."

Neptune was silent, watching and listening to how someone who had everything in life – someone who everyone, including him, wanted to be - was so glum right in front of him. The popularity that he always envied and envisioned for himself, instead a source of loneliness.

"I apologize," Pyrrha then said, her guilt sincere. "You said you came out here to take a break and I kind of dumped my troubles on top of you."

"It's no problem," Neptune replied with a not-so-easy smile and flick of his hand.

"So what about you? Is there a date of yours waiting downstairs?"

Having spoken with someone who had opened up so much to him and it also being someone who he admired, it was hard for him to lie to her with the previously-planned excuses that he had carefully crafted. Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "No but there was…one. A girl, that is, who asked me to go with her. I, uh…it, uh…" He bowed his head. "It just didn't work out."

Pyrrha blinked curiously. "May I ask why?"

"I…" Exhaling slowly, he confessed, "I can't dance. I don't like admitting it to anyone so when she asked me to go with her I told her I couldn't. I didn't want to make a fool out of myself."

"Did you tell her why?"

"Well, no, I pretty much just…left her there after I said it."

_Left Weiss standing there when he turned his back but able to vividly recall how the hope in those blue eyes faded away, leaving nothing but shock at his words and a silent plea to tell him why. A plea he didn't answer to, letting her heart break in time with the sound of the dormitory door closing behind him while he went upstairs, his need to save face already having him planning on how he was going to avoid her for the next night – possibly a couple more afterwards._

"That's a shame." There was no accusation for the wrongdoing in Pyrrha's voice, only pity. For him? For Weiss? Both? "If you don't mind me saying, I think she would've been happy to just be here with the guy she chose."

She pushed herself away from the ledge. "Even if you hadn't meant to, thank you for being here to listen to what I wanted to say. I don't think I knew how much I needed that. I'll stick around a little, talk with some friends, and then perhaps leave." She started for the doorway but stopped when she was about to cross. "Will you be coming down?"

His reply was slow in coming. "In a little bit."

She didn't say anything else, the _click_ of her heels fading into the building and leaving Neptune alone on the balcony. The solitude pressed down on him as it did when he had started out at Sanctum. Eager to learn, wanting to prove how smart he was. Sticking to libraries, reading books and articles, sitting in front of a holoscreen and catching the latest programs and news about the next breakthrough made on the science that mankind took so much pride and reliance on. Mastering the art of field energizers and power insulators to enhance his chosen weapon with the technology that fascinated him – and only him.

The disinterested and outright bored looks of his peer with no one to share the same interests and intrigues. Being brushed off so many times with names like 'nerd'. Just sitting at his corner desk, studying and completing the more mentally-challenging work with a hundred percent efficiency but with zero help or company. Watching jealously as all the popular kids got the attention and praise of their peers.

It all changed with the help of his first real friend, an outcast in his own way thanks to his monkey-like attributes. Along with the relief of having such a friend, there came the hope that he could do more if he worked hard enough. Become popular. Do what all the cool kids had done. Start off on a different track when he got to Haven and then this visit to Beacon that could let him try again all the way back at square one

 _All for what?_ he wondered to himself, following Pyrrha's example to push off and away from the ledge and reenter the ballroom. Sticking to this idea, defending it religiously to the point of disregarding the feelings of the girls he made passes to, only to finally see what would wait for him at the end: a similar, but more empty and shameful fate.

Returning to the second floor, a flash of white hair down below caught his attention. Peering down, it was to see Weiss in the middle of the congregation, in the arms of not some guy but her partner. They were dancing, they were smiling, and even when he witnessed Ruby nearly fall, Weiss helped right her and he could see those smiles widen, the two finding humor at the mishap.

"…Huh," he murmured thoughtfully.

* * *

"How is it?" Yang asked, retrieving a small plate.

Blake stuck up her index finger to request the second she needed to finish the treat in question: one of the small sandwiches that filled one of the trays of the buffet table. They came in a variety of choices although the ones that took up Blake's plate and the one she was currently chewing on was strictly tuna. It was something that Yang made sure would be included when she and Weiss were going through catering options.

Chuckling at the obvious bliss on her girlfriend's face as she savored it, Yang surveyed the other selections that went from salads and vegetables to pastas and meats. All delectable choices and the blonde's fingers passed over them in indecision before taking a provided pasta scoop to get a sampling of one batch of noodles drizzled in a sauce that a quick whiff earned a spicy kick to her nostrils. It was when getting a fork that Yang's gaze strayed to the dance floor and she froze in place.

She caught a pass of it but had to wait for them to appear again to confirm it. _Ruby and Weiss?_

It was her sister's uniquely red dress that drew Yang like a magnet. A second later, Weiss came into her sight as did her hands which rested on Ruby and that little amount of space between their bodies that Yang immediately thought made them _too_ close together.

 _When did this happen?_ she wondered, staring transfixed at the scene that involved their Ice Queen dancing with her _baby sister._

Something waved in front of Yang's face but it had to make a few passes before she took note of it. She needed a tremendous amount of force to rip her eyes away from the phenomenon in order to look at Blake, the faunus lowering her hand once she knew she had Yang's attention.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Yang thrust her chin to the dancing pair. "Did you know anything about this?"

Blake looked where directed and the lifting of her brows that came a moment later was the sign that she located their teammates. "No, this is news to me. From what I got from Ruby when we were coming here, she didn't have any date in mind. Had Weiss said anything to you?"

"She did, but nothing that implied _this_." When she asked about a date, Weiss had mentioned that she had one in mind. Yang had assumed she meant Neptune and not her sweet, pure, and innocent Ruby Rose.

There must've been visible traces of this sense of betrayal she was currently experiencing because Blake was nudging her for her attention once again. "Relax. Going by what we know, it doesn't sound like anything more than two friends enjoying themselves."

Yang tried to latch onto the assurance that came from the label 'friends' and not the 'enjoying themselves' that caused a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. _Friends. Right, friends. That's all it is._

It wasn't like Ruby ever expressed an interest in such romance before, saving her love for Crescent Rose. The only thing she ever admired about people were _their_ weapons. Besides, Yang recalled a memory similar to Blake concerning Ruby intending to just spend the dance alone. No way would she be suddenly throwing herself into the dating scene like this.

A dance step later and Yang could make out the smiles on Ruby and Weiss's faces as they stared at one another.

 _…She_ is _nearing sixteen,_ she thought, that sinking sensation coming back with a vengeance when she remembered how fast and how much she went out not long after reaching that age. With her puberty-granted gifts, she attracted a great deal of attention – male _and_ female attention – and she hadn't been adverse to exploring the options that presented themselves to her. _And if those two have as many ups and downs as Blake and I do-_ "Blugh!?"

"It's impolite to stare," Blake stated, pushing the rest of her miniature tuna sandwich into Yang's mouth which had opened enough for her to do the deed. "Need I remind you that you have a date of your own who you should be taking care of after all the fuss to get her here?"

Her girlfriend's words and needing to stop herself from choking derailed Yang's very troubling thoughts. "Sorry," she apologized once she swallowed. "I was _so_ not ready for that."

"It's fine." Blake teasingly trailed her fingers along the skin of Yang's arm. "I guess that means I'll have to try to get you focused on something else."

The super sexy faunus girlfriend not-so-subtly calling for her was a good way to do that, Yang grinning as she better turned to her and away from Ruby.

 _Who's enjoying her scoop of Weiss cream._ Every muscle in Yang's body seized and her grin was obliterated. _Puns, why have you betrayed me!?_

It was at that moment that there was a frenzied tapping on her shoulder, giving her something else to latch onto and save her from descending into possible hysteria. Looking back, it was to see Jaune Arc behind her and looking quite frantic. "Jaune?"

"Yang, I need your help!" JNPR's leader exclaimed.

"Now?" Yang questioned with a frown. She had a kitty-cat demanding for attention and a little sister who was becoming not-so-little as the night dragged on. Such an interruption was not something she needed right now.

Jaune nodded desperately. "Yes, it has to be now or it might be too late!"

How he was acting did pique her curiosity and, reluctantly, Yang decided to hear him out. She switched to Blake, her mouth opening, but the faunus spoke first. "Go. This sounds important."

"It'll only be a minute," Yang assured, hoping that to be true while she let Jaune lead her away to an empty corner of the room. "Alright, Jaune, what's up?"

"I messed up!" he blurted out. "It's Pyrrha."

"What, you spill punch on her dress?" Yang was already guessing. "Step on her toes too many times?" Thinking of how she hadn't seen either of them 'till now, she asked, "Were you late in meeting with her?"

It was the last that he appeared positively glum. "Try not meeting her at all."

"…Eh?"

His head lowering, he shamefully said, "I didn't come to the dance with her."

Yang stared at Jaune for several seconds. Then it was her who was dropping her head right into her hands. "Oh, Jaune…"

"I know…"

She shook her head slowly. "Jaune, Jaune, Jaune…"

"Look, I know, okay?"

When Yang raised her head, it was to see the boy look incredibly guilt. And why wouldn't he?Everyone knew how much Pyrrha was smitten with her leader. For how many times that Jaune had tried to attract the attention of multiple other girls in their year, he was all but clueless to the feelings of the one who was constantly at his side.

 _Make that_ totally _clueless,_ Yang corrected, the current situation proof of that. _Then again, Pyrrha's not much better when it comes to saying anything about it. Truly a hopeless pair. Practically made for each other._

"I thought she already had a date!" Jaune attempted to defend against the critical look that Yang knew she must've had on display. "How was I supposed to know that she of all people wouldn't have one?"

 _Maybe because she was waiting for one in particular._ Yang didn't say that though, choosing to maintain her silent condemnation.

Funnily enough, he caught on to the futility of his defense and moved on to why he got her. "I just happened to overhear her talking. She doesn't have a date and she's only going to be here for a little longer before leaving. I want to make it up to her."

Yang laid a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Jaune, if you're planning on serenading her then, as a friend, I should tell you something about your singing."

"No I wasn't thinking of- wait, my singing isn't that bad!"

"Let's stick to the original topic. You need help making up with Pyrrha. If you need music, I can talk to the DJ and get something playing for you while you woo her in some other way."

"I'm not going to…" Jaune hesitated, considering something. "Actually, the music's not a bad idea. That's not what I wanted to ask though."

"What is it?"

"I need a dress."

Yang found herself staring at him again except her features had become unreadable. There came a slow blink…followed by a second. "I'm intrigued. Go on."

* * *

Ruby was starting to think that dancing wasn't so bad as she and Weiss went on. They had to have gone through the moves a hundred times by now but she didn't feel bored. She was actually having fun, and she knew part of the joy was that she could tell that it was the same with Weiss. It was more than what she saw in her smile or the liveliness that became more noticeable in her movements as they got more into it.

She also felt it in their Auras. As they gave into the dance, it was just not their movements that became more synchronized. Their shared energies traveled between one another, naturally touching and binding together like their linked hands. It gave an additional element to the dance as they were able to get a genuine sense of how they were both enjoying this – the music, the atmosphere, each other. It was such an enchanting feeling, one that someone could easily get lost in as she knew she was.

That was until the laughter started. It wasn't any more distinct than one shared between the small groupings of friends that dotted the ballroom, not until it became louder and began traversing throughout a section of the building.

When it eventually got too loud to be ignored, Ruby and Weiss stopped and turned for the source with the latter the first to speak. "What in the world?"

A sea of students parted before someone who made use of the space to cut across the room. Neither of them could see who it was, Ruby only managing to visually acquire and track a pair of running sneakers and a light blue skirt that hung over toned legs. It was only when they reached their destination that Ruby saw who it was thanks to the students who backed up enough.

"Is that…Jaune?" Ruby questioned aloud.

Her friend was sharing the space within the ring of spectators with someone else. The commotion in her vicinity, Pyrrha was the last to see what it was about, her eyes widening at who she saw. "Jaune…?"

The leader of JNPR stood in the center of it all in a dress. Other than the part where he was actually wearing one, it looked even more ridiculous with his broad shoulders and developed muscles. Yet he stood in front of everyone, offering a sheepish smile and shrug to his partner and it was only because everyone was so stunned with a convenient break in the music having occurred that Ruby could hear him. "Eh…a promise is a promise."

Almost as soon as he said it, Pyrrha began shaking in place, bending over with a hand clasped over her mouth but her efforts were for naught as she burst out laughing, tears trickling down her cheeks. Wiping at them with a trembling hand, body still vibrating with laughter, Pyrrha struggled to speak. "J-Jaune, you didn't have to!"

"Hey, an Arc never goes back on his word," Jaune replied, somehow completely at ease with the situation, including the snickers of the audience. "Now do you want to stand there and keep laughing at me…" He took a step closer and held out a hand to her. "…or do you want to dance?"

Pyrrha eyed it like she wasn't sure if it was real or not. Choosing to believe it was – or willing to continue with this delusion -, she placed her hand in his. "I would love to dance."

The invincible warrioress actually squeaked at the strong tug that brought her right into Jaune's arms who spun her towards the dance floor, Pyrrha floating along, enamored, as she was swept off her feet.

As they had become stunned onlookers themselves, it was only when Nora ran by Ruby and Weiss that the red and white pair snapped out of it, the hammer-wielder dragging her partner behind her as she energetically shouted, "Ren! This. Is. HAPPENING!"

"Wait, what is happening?" Ren asked and promptly ignored.

The speakers came back to life to produce a thumping, energetic beat as the members of JNPR came together and then separated with Pyrrha and Jaune taking the middle of the curved line that they formed with Ren and Nora at the ends. Instruments joined in, giving the beat a jazzier tone and, when the vocalist began singing, JNPR began dancing.

_"Baby, it's time to make up your mind~  
I think that tonight is when our stars align~"_

"Woah," Ruby awed in appreciation as the four members began spinning, twisting, bending, and sliding in flawless synchronization to the music, right down to their hand motions. "I guess we're not the only ones who practice routines." The absence of a response had Ruby finding Weiss inspecting JNPR with an expression of deep thought. "What's up?"

"I was just thinking," Weiss mused. "About Jaune, actually. Do you remember all the times he tried to ask me out?"

Ruby flapped her lips. "Pffft, kinda hard to forget you opening the door to our dorm to see him with his guitar."

"Yes, that _was_ a bit much." With a considerate tilt, she added, "Well, I had other choice words to describe those attempts. Thinking back on them though, and this one right here, I may have to…adjust my opinion about him a little."

"How so?"

"As obnoxious as they were, I do admire the courage it takes to do that. It's usually me that always gets asked by boys and I had never really thought much of it when I turned them down so easily after so many times. Last night was a first for me to do the asking and it's not as…easy as it looks. Maybe – _maybe_ – I'd be willing to be a bit nicer to him in the future."

Ruby quirked a brow. "So does that mean you might give him a chance next time?"

Weiss shot her a look but it was void of any nastiness. "Let's not get too crazy."

The music shift and JNPR's show administered a change to the dance. The previous snickers and laughs had switched to cheers and whoops of encouragement. As soon as the first-year team broke apart, the members focusing on their respective partners, many took it as a sign to dive right in and join them. Unlike the quiet and tame movements of ballroom dancing, the ones who took the floor did so with wild, unpredictable actions. Jumping, clapping, skipping, and waving arms above their heads.

Caught in the center of this maelstrom, Ruby's confidence waned. The slow dancing she had been getting the hang of, but this? "As fun as this seems to be, I think I'll take that pass now."

Weiss was inclined to agree. "I could use a refreshment anyway."

"Oh, I'll get it!" Ruby volunteered, happy to use the opportunity to get away. "Go ahead and grab a seat."

It was only when they separated that Ruby realized that they had remained in each other's arms the whole time; from when Jaune made his appearance to now. There was a slight fluttering in her chest at the discovery that she couldn't explain but it was gone when she spun around to the refreshment table but didn't get the chance to take a step, Weiss's grip on her hand remaining. "Ruby."

The younger girl swiveled her head back around to look at her questionably.

"Thank you." Face moderately flushed – because they had been dancing, Ruby assumed -, Weiss smiled gratefully at her. "This was a lot of fun. I'm glad I came after all and I'm just as glad that you asked me to dance."

Ruby returned the gesture, a pleasant warmth replacing the fluttering that spread across her chest. "What are friends for? I had a lot of fun dancing with you too. Next time I'll do better!"

Weiss appeared startled at the idea of a 'next time' but it was short-lived, the gradual smoothing of her features a hint to her acceptance of the possibility. "I wouldn't mind a next time."

She let go and withdrew into the crowd, leaving Ruby to carefully navigate through her fellow students to get to the refreshment table. Somewhere in the middle, she couldn't help but notice that walking in her heels wasn't such a challenge anymore. _Huh, guess all that dancing paid off._

A glass punch bowl dominated the center of the table with sugary treats present to give anyone who wanted them an energy boost. After filling a pair of plastic cups with the punch, Ruby knew as soon as she spotted the assorted chocolates and baked goods that she was taking some with her. Unsure of what Weiss preferred, she played it safe and loaded a plate with one of everything. Then, with a cookie in between her teeth, Ruby carefully balanced her haul and took the longer but more secure route around the dance floor, nibbling on the snack but not dropping it – a skill she had no business in possessing.

She had suspected and was proven correct when she saw that Weiss had returned to the same line of chairs that Ruby originally found her in. Instead of her straight-back posture, the fencer appeared very relaxed as she viewed the event merrily rather than dismally. That was until something out of Ruby's sight had her turning her head and her expression hardened.

The reason became apparent when Neptune appeared, well aware that he was treading on thin ice as he approached Weiss cautiously. He said something that Ruby couldn't make out but she could feel the spine-tingling chill that Weiss was giving off and she assumed that her partner's muted reply was just as cold if Neptune's grimace was anything to go by. Though he kept his distance, he again said something that took longer to transmit, shuffling uneasily the whole while.

When his lips stopped moving, Weiss's didn't break from their thin line, the heiress sticking him with that frigid glare. It surprised Ruby when she then gestured for Neptune to take the empty seat next to her, the boy complying with tangible relief.

 _Guess Neptune's the one getting that chance,_ Ruby thought. Though partially stiff, he resumed talking and, as the seconds ticked by, Ruby witnessed the subtle angling of Weiss's head to show that she was at least listening even if her countenance remained icy. _I think I'll give them a minute._

She happened to stop near the open doors of the ballroom, a comforting breeze that cooled what little sweat she worked up beckoning her outside. She decided to accept nature's offer, leaving the party behind her to get a breath of fresh air. Setting Weiss's cup and the plate of goods down, Ruby finished off the cookie she had and took a sip of her punch.

She got more than a glimpse of the night sky with her sip. Across the way, on top of a line of dormitory buildings, a silhouette was vaulting along the rooftops. After making their way to the end, they traversed to the other side of the last roof, Ruby barely managing to make out the person jumping off the edge and disappearing behind the building.

 _That wasn't suspicious or anything._ With her instincts concurring that something was wrong with what she just saw, Ruby dropped her cup and took off in the direction that the not-suspicious person ran off to.

* * *

"So this is what Jaune needed your help with?" Blake queried once Yang rejoined her.

"Yep!" Yang chirped proudly. "I had a talk with the DJ, selected the appropriate song, and then had him wait for my signal before playing."

Blake could only catch glimpses but somewhere in the heart of the frenzied activity she saw the blue and white of Jaune's dress and the red of Pyrrha's in close proximity, the two closing and spinning around each other before breaking away only to return again. It was obvious that they were enjoying themselves.

"I believe the term you once used was 'you done good'," Blake complimented. Yang hummed in reply but the way it was delivered so absent-mindedly had the darker girl twisting towards her. "Something wrong?"

"It does fit him," Yang commented, troubled, as she stared at what had to be the J and P pair. "Fits him a bit too well I think."

"What does?"

"The dress." The blonde became increasingly bothered. "It was what I wore at my graduation party at Signal."

Blake's eyes widened with understanding and the shock that came with it. "Wait. That dress is _yours_?"

"It was what Jaune really wanted," Yang explained reluctantly. "He couldn't exactly go out and get one so he had to think of who would have one that he could at least squeeze into. I was apparently his first choice." She wasn't pleased with that at all.

Blake couldn't help but look back in Jaune's direction before returning to her partner, gaze focusing on her well-endowed chest as she tried to bring up the full image of JNPR's leader in her mind. The hoodie, she had to admit, did astonishingly well when it came to hiding the boy's rather broad physique. If he wanted a dress from a girl like Yang who needed the right... _accommodations_ for her chest, not to mention not being that much shorter than him then…well…

She knew it was the horrible thing to do and she tried to smother it with a hand held tightly over her mouth while she positioned her back to Yang but there was nothing she could do about her shaking or the choked noises that escaped, hoping desperately that the music would drown them out.

Whether she heard her or she translated what the shaking was about, Yang dryly said, "Yeah, rub that salt right on the wound."

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," Blake choked out between her fingers.

"I can tell you really mean it."

"I r-r-really do!" Gulping down air and reining in quaking shoulders, Blake forced herself to stand straight and confront her partner with an apology that she hoped would mask the humor she knew was twinkling in her bright eyes. "I'm sorry. _Really_." At least she managed to say that straight.

Yang remained unconvinced so Blake approached and threw her arms over her shoulders, fingers clasping behind her partner's neck. The pull that brought her closer let Blake see how unexpected it was to her girlfriend.

"Come on," Blake said, her voice low. She leaned forward, lips brushing against Yang's before they went to her ear. "This is a dance, isn't it?"

When Blake retreated to the dance floor with her hands now behind her back, it was to see Yang tracking her in a daze with a blush on her cheeks. Silently giggling, Bake added a hop to her next step back. She had no idea where this surge of energy came from but she didn't have it in her to care, especially when Yang got over her stupor to join her.

_"I was cold in the dark~_

_It was empty in my life~"_

The upbeat tone of the song had shifted, the tone lowering, the thumping ceasing, but Blake didn't let it deter her. Closing her eyes, she listened to the lyrics, letting it guide this energy through her body to take control, starting with a rhythmic bobbing of her head, the tips of her heels beginning to tap against the floor.

_"From the outside it looked so bright~_

_But nothing felt right ….to me~"_

She concentrated on the music and forgot about everything else. The past week that had been so trying and confusing. Days of such burdensome stress and worry straining her to what had to be the breaking point. This night would be one of respite - a break that had her separating herself from the unrest of the entire world in order to give herself to what was in this ballroom.

_"Like a sky with no sun~_

_Like a night that has no day~"_

The thumping returned and she could feel her heart thudding against her chest in order to match its vigor. Her hands removed themselves from behind her back, brushing against the fabric over her hips that began moving, her entire body now swaying to the music. She spun around on her heels, arms coming up and twisting around her, fingers passing through her hair.

A gradual difference of smell and touch in the air more recognizable due to her faunus senses had Blake opening her eyes to see a smoky haze falling over the crowd. _Fog machines?_

_"My heart was eclipsed by the dark~_

_Then something changed~"_

Gold cut through it, Blake catching it at her peripheral, and she was twisting into the arms that came around her waist and brought her close. She willingly pressed up against the other body, sweet friction created by warm skin and stretching materials. Hands rested at her hips to feel their movement while her own arms found themselves coming back on those familiar shoulders, fingers threading through the shining fibers of hair while amber met lilac.

_"I saw a little ray of light come through~_

_The tiniest of sparks came into view~_

_And then…~"_

The pull against her hips came with the one she made against that hair, their heads tilting and eyes closing together, and then she was fully swept away as their lips met and she became lost in that wonderful merger of body and soul.

_"You made me hope again~"_

* * *

_So much for a dance,_ Sun thought, watching from the sidelines. There was no sharpness to the thought and, if he was being honest with himself, this hadn't been unexpected. Not with how he could plainly see how those two were. _I think the best thing to do for something like this is step back and take my leave._

For as much as Neptune wanted to believe that he could write on the _Book of Cool_ , Sun was of the opinion that he could pen a couple chapters himself. But now he was back at square one, wondering where he could find another interesting, quirky girl-

"Sal-u-tations!"

Huh, he's heard that perky, high-pitched tone before. Sun whirled around. "Penny!?"

"Hi, Sun!" the ginger-haired swordstringer greeted cheerfully with that fitting smile. "I'm absolutely thrilled to see you again!"

The monkey faunus took a moment to examine her and discovered that Penny was wearing a mint-green dress with matching heels, the latter doing little for her height with how Sun had to look down at her. The trademark pink bow was in her hair which happened to make her the second girl in a row that he happened to meet with that type of decoration since he arrived at Vale. With Penny though, her first impression involved her tearing through White Fang soldiers with floating swords and splitting apart armored airships with energy beams. All done with that unwavering, too-perky smile.

He hadn't seen her after they shared their goodbyes at the docks although seeing her here brought up the memory of her saying that she was to participate in the Vytal Festival's tournament and that she had, as she called it, 'temporary residence'.

 _She must be a transfer student, too._ Belatedly, he realized that he had been staring at her for a while with her not having made a move or mention of it at all, simply beaming up at him the whole time. The hurried smile he gave her he found to be half-forced as, despite her abrupt appearance, he was actually happy to see her again and meant it when he finally returned her greeting. "It's nice to see you again, too."

"Thank you for saying so!" she chirped. "If you do not mind me asking, are you currently accompanied by a date?"

Sun considered it a bit odd for that to be the first thing for her to ask him but he took it in stride. "No."

Penny's smile widened. "Splendid! Then, would like to be my date?"

"What?" Sun asked, taken aback. He hadn't been expecting that.

"I've been monitoring the event," Penny explained without hesitation. "During that time, I managed to locate everyone that I had established previous acquaintanceship with. Through process of elimination, I was able to conclude that everyone else had managed to acquire a date which made them incompatible to act as mine."

She leaned in close. _Very_ close, and Sun had to tilt back to get some space between that earnest face and his. "But you _are_ compatible. So would you like to be my date and partake in a dance with me?"

Even with her explanation, the bewildered faunus still needed to process the request and Penny's green eyes were as immobile as her smile, spine in a permanent arch as she awaited his reply.

 _Eh, why not?_ With a shrug, Sun answered, "Sure."

Her reaction was the same as when he said that they were friends, Penny performing an excited hop while issuing a delighted laugh. "Excellent!" She turned and waved somewhere to the back of the ballroom.

When Sun looked, he was not expecting the girl to be waving at two men garbed in the armor of the Atlesian military who stood like sentries against one wall, their faces concealed by the visors of their helmets. The difference between them was that one was wearing a red bodysuit beneath his armor while the other wore blue. It was the one in red that waved back to Penny.

"Penny?" Sun asked, wondering why they were here or why Penny knew them. "Who are they?"

She returned to him, smile still on her face. "They're my escorts! They let me go once I told them that we were friends."

"Es…corts?" Sun gave them another look and, even with their helmets, he picked up a very threatening vibe from the two of them. Maybe because, when Penny turned her back to them, the one in red had pointed a threatening finger at Sun and was currently in the process of miming like he was digging a hole with an invisible shovel.

Sun didn't get it until he saw the one in blue begin tapping against the butt of the pistol strapped to his side.

When Penny took him by the arm, he was quickly reminded of that strength that made her fingers reminiscent of a clamp that cut off any chance of escape. He was equally helpless when she lugged him to the dance, oblivious to his stumbles or the glares of the soldiers that he could definitely sense following him.

 _This girl is going to get me killed one day,_ he thought with a justifiable amount of certainty and immediately rubbed at his arm where he expected bruising to come into play later after she let go. When he addressed his impromptu dance partner, he stared at her strangely. "Penny, what are you doing?"

"Dancing!"

To Sun, Penny had a weird definition for dancing. Rather than immerse herself in some form of erratic, fast-paced rhythm like the rest of the students, she was moving pretty slow. Her steps were stiff, her body turning in the same manner, with arms locked in a bent position. The best comparison that Sun could make to Penny's actions was that of an android or some other type of robot that was breaking down.

"Are you going to join me, Sun?" Penny asked.

Sun waited to give his answer which came in the form of the intentional stiffening of his body. "You know what?" Grinning, he began imitating Penny. "Why not?"

* * *

Ruby was really thankful to have gotten enough of a handling of her heels to traverse what had to be half the campus in her investigation of the mysterious person she spotted, the towering CCT acting as a marker to her progress. Yet walking beneath its shadow, she was starting to second guess the legitimacy of her suspicions.

 _It might've just been a student,_ Ruby contemplated. _A transfer student who didn't go to the dance and got bored._

Yeah, it was pretty weird to see someone jumping around rooftops in the middle of the night, but how she had let the idea of it possibly being an intruder lead her out here was sounding more and more silly the further she went with no additional signs of them or any sort of trouble appearing. _Besides, this is Beacon. An intruder? Here? No way._

Thinking of it like that, it really did seem ridiculous and Ruby wondered if some of Blake's paranoia rubbed off on her. Deciding that the CCT would be her limit, Ruby performed what would be her last scan of the area, promising herself that she'll return to her friends once it was done.

And it was during that last search that she spotted the body. Off to the side of the entrance to the CCT, partially hidden within a row of bushes, Ruby caught the yellow markings of the armor that stood out within the low light. With Atlas's arrival, she had gotten very good at recognizing the standard issue uniform of their soldiers and seeing one lying there, unmoving, had her gasping and she immediately got her scroll, inputting a code.

She didn't have to wait long. After mere seconds she was turning at the sound of the rocket booster of her locker to see it dropping from the sky and impact into the courtyard, embedding itself into the ground. The automatic release kicked in, the locker door being thrown open with explosive force to reveal Crescent Rose nestled within. As soon as she had the comforting weight of her scythe in her hands, she went to the downed soldier.

He was alive. Even when Ruby was checking for a pulse, she could see that he was breathing and the discovery relieved her immensely. That done, she switched priorities and checked for clues as to what could've happened.

There was a dropped rifle nearby but, other than that, the soldier had the rest of his weapons on him. If he had managed to put up a fight or fire a single shot, Ruby was certain that she would've heard it. With him in the bushes like this, Ruby believed that someone had snuck up on him, knocked him out, and then moved him into the bushes to get him out of the open so someone wouldn't easily spot him.

 _I'm almost like a detective,_ Ruby couldn't help but think with some pride. Much like how Beacon had emphasized the importance of strategy and tactics, she had also been taught to examine the details to get a handling on a situation so that she would be better prepared when she went in. Usually it was for tracking Grimm, analyzing footprints or other minor changes in the environment to not only figure out how close they were or what direction they went but calculate how big the pack was and if they were aggressively pursuing prey or wandering. As this just proved, examination of the details can help in circumstances like this.

She didn't revel in the accomplishment, the pride fleeting thanks to this confirmation that there was an intruder in Beacon, and she could guess where they went. After attempting to wake the soldier and failing, Ruby left him where he lay and moved to the door of the transmit tower, pushing it open and entering.

If the one soldier outside told her that there was an intruder, then the four that were sprawled throughout the lobby said that they were a serious threat.

These weren't taken out quietly. A battle had taken place here. Along with the bodies were discarded weapons: at least one pistol and the extendable blades that were used for close combat. It didn't do them any good. Ruby checked them too and found her luck holding out. All were alive although the damage to their armor – from small dents made from firearms to the long slashes of blades – were hints of a one-sided beating that had been administered to them.

All the casualties were the soldiers and no one else. Not anyone that could give Ruby an idea of what she may be dealing with whether it be one assailant or multiple ones.

As she figured out outside though, there was only one way they could go from here. Ruby approached the elevators, making sure to take care as her gaze wandered throughout the lobby, her pace cautious as if expecting an enemy to come out and attack her. The signs of battle and the unknown circumstances surrounding it made her nervous. She didn't think it would bother her this much what with her schooling that involved sending her out into the nearby wild that was the turf of the Grimm on more than a few occasions but this was different.

For one, this was _Beacon_. There were very few places that were as secure as here. If someone managed to infiltrate the combat school and engage in a fight, then they had to be good. And good meant dangerous despite how none of the casualties involved people being killed. But if there was such a person or persons here, then it was Ruby's duty as a Huntress to apprehend them.

She pressed the call button for an elevator, waited anxiously in the ensuing silence for its arrival, and her muscles tensed when they slid apart, expecting a fight. It didn't come, and all that was waiting to greet her in the elevator were two more unconscious soldiers.

 _Seven,_ Ruby counted with shock. _That makes seven soldiers._ And going by the sight, the pair here could've been in the elevator with the intruder and beaten. Their sidearms were lying amongst them but, unlike the lobby, there were no signs of the weapons firing before their owners had been taken out.

She didn't let it scare her off. This latest scene did intimidate her but her building determination to find this intruder and put a stop to them before anyone else could get hurt persisted. She entered the elevator but didn't go up immediately, using a few seconds to get the bodies out. She'd rather not take them with her with the likelihood of putting them in more danger.

Since entering the CCT, something had been nagging at her. While piecing together clues and taking stock of the soldiers along with remaining on the lookout for an ambush, there had been something else bothering her. A sensation best described as something being wrong and knowing it but she couldn't quite pin down what it was. It was when the elevator doors closed and she stood in it for too long did she realize what it was.

It was too quiet. Usually the overseeing AI would be greeting her and asking about her business, eager to fulfill whatever request that brought her to the CCT. It was strangely quiet.

"Hello?" Ruby called out, her voice sounding too loud within the empty and quiet elevator. Nothing answered her back and she regarded the panel. There was only one floor that someone would go to in the CCT and she pressed the button for the communications room.

It started ascending as soon as she did, supplementing this feeling of something being wrong. She didn't have to use her scroll for authorization.

If there was a threat, she suspected to meet it when the elevator arrived but Ruby used up part of the journey going over old details and asking herself new questions. What was going on with the transmit tower right now?

She thought back to the soldiers and she tried to remember what their yellow markings meant. Security, obviously, but had the CCT ever needed them before? Were the tower's systems being updated or was there another scheduled event of similar nature going on and had been set up to coincide with the dance when it wouldn't be busy? The Cross Continental Network _was_ an invention of Atlas and maybe some engineers had been brought with the fleet and students?

Whatever the explanation was, even Ruby could grasp that some of the security protocols within the tower were offline because of it.

Ruby lifted her chin when the elevator came to a stop and she again tensed while she brought the fully-formed length of Crescent Rose in front of her, ready to engage. The doors slid open, Ruby holding her breath…and then letting it out slowly when an empty communications room was unveiled. No signs of battle, no more bodies, just an empty room.

She didn't lower her guard. No one may've been poised to attack her as soon as the elevator arrived but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone in here at all. Not unless they had managed to do whatever they came here for and leave before Ruby arrived but she doubted that. If the person she spotted beforehand was the intruder, there couldn't have possibly been enough time for them to get to the tower, defeat the guards, take the elevator up, and then ride it back down when they were done. Ruby would've at least bumped into them on their way out.

There was someone here. Hiding. Ruby was sure of it.

She slowly stepped out of the elevator, the doors sliding shut again once she was out. Her gaze scanned every corner of the room, her grip tight on Crescent Rose. The scythe blade and barrel were pointed ahead, Ruby's fingers wrapped around the shaft and trigger while those of her other hand grasped the bolt, ready to fire and reload.

"Hello?" It was the thought of convincing the intruder to come out – as unlikely as that was – and to break the unnerving quiet that got her to speak while she crept towards the front desk.

So engrossed in controlling her movements while her gaze swept through the room, the sudden trip had her heart jumping in her throat. Stumbling a couple steps, Ruby glowered down at her feet, quietly snarling at her heels before repositioning her feet for better balance. Fearing that the distraction may've just cost her, Ruby's eyes shot back up around the communications room but no one had taken that moment to strike.

"Is anyone there?" she tried again, wishing she could believe no one was when they didn't respond. There were the beeps of a couple active monitors, the only sound and activity she could find, but Ruby could feel the skin behind her neck prickling. There was danger here. It was faint but instinct told her that she wasn't alone. "Hello?"

She was close to the front desk when a figure in black slowly stood behind it, causing her to freeze. They had their back to her, leaving Ruby to make out long dark hair that fell over their shoulders, small capsules that she recognized as Dust capsules affixed to the belt around their waist and strapped around their thighs. When they faced Ruby, it was to reveal a mask hiding the upper half of their face, save for their eyes.

Their appearance outright screamed 'baddie', from the tight-fitting, zipped up sleeveless jacket and long gloves to the pants and stiletto heel boots that gave a glassy _tink_ as they stepped away from the desk to stand, unobstructed, in front of Ruby. If she hadn't been sure before, she was certain now that this was a woman, the outfit advertising the curves and developed chest with the barest of feminine features unprotected by the mask. Delicate lips curved up to broadcast amusement as if the woman found Ruby's presence funny.

"Excuse me," Ruby said, her fingers tight on Crescent Rose. "You know, it's not a masquerade party. So why don't you take off that-"

The woman snatched one of the Dust canisters at her thigh and swung it in front of her, a cloud of Dust forming and then solidifying into a row of sharp glass shards with molten veins running across their surface. When her hand came back, it was to launch them at Ruby.

She barely reacted in time, spinning Crescent Rose sloppily but successfully to intercept the incoming projectiles, each one detonating rather than shattering upon making contact and Ruby felt heat blossom with each impact while glass fragments scattered through the air and onto the floor. The volley dispensed with, she pointed Crescent Rose at her opponent and returned fire, racking the bolt and pulling the trigger as fast as she could.

The woman held up her hand, sections of her pants and gloves lighting up with an orange glow. A bullet hit and ricocheted off an invisible barrier a foot away from her palm and it shifted to do the same to another one. Between each spark that marked the deflections, Ruby saw orbs of flaming gold alight at the eyes of the mask, burning bright-

 _Just as they did before within the shadows made within the interior of the Bullhead_. _Narrow and fierce, strands of dark hair whipping in front of them due to the jet wash. Along the sleeves and across the chest of the red dress, lines that twisted and curled burned the same orange as each projectile that struck uselessly against an unseen shield in front of her hand, diverting them effortlessly._

Ruby's relaxed on the trigger, seeing her attack as useless. Swinging her scythe around behind her, the next squeeze was to produce a shot and recoil that had her flying in close towards the intruder.

During the break in the salvo, the woman had spiraled in place, a ring of fire forming around her, and when it dissipated it was to reveal a pair of curved, obsidian swords in hand. Instead of having them clash against Ruby's scythe when the younger girl swung down on her, the woman somersaulted back once, the crescent-shaped blade stabbing into the floor where her feet had been, and then flipped higher up. Upon Ruby visually tracking her, it was to see that the swords had become a bow with three arrows rested and drawn back, the savage-looking points aimed directly at her.

She only had a split second to recognize and then avoid the attack, a retreating leap getting her clear when the arrows were fired, encased in a yellow brilliance of power that was unleashed when they exploded against the floor of the room. The blast and the wave of pressure and heat that was produced ruined her balance and Ruby had to embed Crescent Rose's blade into the floor in order to keep herself from falling over.

She was nowhere near ready to fight in heels and Ruby thought about sparing a second to kick them off until there came that sound of tinkling glass at her feet. A quick look showed the crystalline shrapnel littered around her.

 _On second thought, keep the heels,_ she decided, the handicap better than having her feet sliced open.

She switched back to the intruder, finding her to have landed in a crouch and those orbs of dulled gold seeking her silver ones. That smile had returned, showing no fear. Only the anticipation and confidence of one who believed themselves the predator that shook Ruby's.

Whoever this was, she was skilled and doubtlessly powerful, the blazing heat of those attacks lingering on Ruby's skin and kindling an innate fear that came in coming in contact with such abilities. Ruby stubbornly squashed it, the very suggestion of running away she tossed out of her mind.

Being so powerful just gave Ruby a better reason to stop her.

Before either of them could be the one to reengage, there came the sound of the elevator opening and Ruby looked over her shoulder to see General Ironwood rushing out and into the room, searching and finding the scythe-wielder first.

 _All right!_ Ruby cheered, the general's presence boosting her confidence. She refaced the intruder, sure that the two of them could take her. _Wait, what!?_

The intruder wasn't there anymore and when Ruby sought to locate her, it was to see that she wasn't anywhere in the room. She had disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: In the first version of Ruby's fight with Cinder, there was a Die Hard reference to be made where, due to Ruby's inability in fighting in heels and Cinder using glass, this would've ended with Ruby's feet being torn up. Fortunately for our red-themed heroine, the idea was cut.


	9. Field Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, I can confidently say that I have four chapters left for this fic. This chapter is meant to be a filler where, afterwards, I intend to go crazy again as I'll be writing Search and Destroy and Mountain Glenn as one chapter and, after that, No Brakes will start all the fun that I had been thinking up for it and everything that will occur in Breach.

_"Ozpin."_

_Shaded spectacles met the met the speaker with a cordial welcoming. "James. An enjoyable night, isn't it?"_

_"Yes, very," James agreed though the response was made off-handedly, empty of any real positive feedback._

_If Beacon's headmaster picked up on it, he gave it no special attention, his tone remaining pleasant. "I see that Glynda isn't with you. Finished with your dance?"  
_

_"Among other things," James replied. "I was wondering if we could use this chance to talk more about business."_

_"Of course." It was delivered smoothly, Ozpin nonchalantly gesturing towards the door of the ballroom. "Perhaps outside would be better."_

_James didn't object to the maneuvering, letting himself be led to the position that would keep what they had to say strictly between them. Though the night air would usually be considered cool to Vale residents, it was still too warm from those hailing from Atlas, the frozen temperatures of Mantle leaving many of his students and men unused to this weather. James held out with his implacable bearing though it helped that certain parts of him were incapable of experiencing the climate._

_"I wanted to speak with you about the distribution of my soldiers," James started as soon as Ozpin joined him, immediately bypassing any of the delaying tactics that would've been used._

_"I assumed as much." Ozpin matched the stance that the general took up with spine straight and hands clasped behind his back, something that James appreciated to show that he was prepared to listen. "You find the current arrangement dissatisfactory?"_

_"I find it ineffective." The current arrangement being the various presentations and deployments of the 200-series of the Atlesian Knights that were occurring throughout Vale. Cloaked as an innocent campaigning action, it let a full platoon of soldiers mix themselves within the city. However, a platoon was nowhere near enough to cover the miles upon miles of cityscape that their enemies could be hiding in, their members concealed within the millions of civilians that made the kingdom their home._

_A platoon was only a fraction of the strength that Ironwood had waiting on standby but could be better used elsewhere. "Oz, as the most suitable military advisor on hand, I suggest that you reconsider my proposal for the sake of security."_

_He gave credit for Ozpin having the courtesy to not react in a disparaging manner but there was the recession of his shoulders that broadcasted the headmaster's opinion about the attempt. "If this was a military matter, believe me when I say that I would give your opinion my highest regard. But this isn't a military matter."_

_"Then consider it strictly as a security matter," James tried again, suppressing his irritation at the passiveness that his friend continued to view the situation with. "I have hundreds of personnel on hand, all of which I would gladly deploy under your supervision. Together with the combat androids, this makes this near a thousand. Use them. It is why I brought them."_

_"A thousand soldiers and androids on Vale's streets. That is the kind of show of power that I said I wanted to avoid, James."_

_"Last week should more than justify their use. They are out there, Oz, and we have no idea just how close they are. We need every available resource on hand and in use if it means preventing any more chaos."_

_"What you're proposing could induce the fear that will lead to the same, General."_

_James had been expecting resistance, but even he was put off by the staunch refusal. His men, his ships, and his resources were the culmination of the work and measures that he had undertaken in order to preserve the peace and stamp out any chance for a renewal the conflict that they managed to ascend from. Coming to Vale where the traces of this conspiracy threatened to spread, he had done so with the notion to prove that all that he accomplished had been worth it._

_He hadn't expected the one man who he wanted to demonstrate that to the most to hinder him._

_"The events of last week in mind," Ozpin said, "we still have no inkling of where to properly direct our strengths. To use them so imprudently, that strength can turn against us and become an advantage to our enemies."_

_"Not if we don't give them the room to operate," James argued._

_"In exchange of restricting the lifestyle of our own in the process?" Ozpin shook his head. "That goes against what this celebration and the peace of freedom that we worked so hard to create and maintain."_

_James couldn't stop the snide remark. "So shall we just wait for those to go on their merry way and utterly destroy it themselves?"_

_Ozpin exhibited open disapproval. Indicating the interior of the ballroom, he said, "We should relish in what we have while we still can. If conflict is to occur despite our best efforts, it is the memories born of moments such as these that we will carry and allow us to conduct ourselves appropriately, so that we may not lose ourselves to the disorder."_

_"Relish them if you wish, but I'd rather make sure that our people do so without the interference of war." Stepping away from Ozpin, James descended the stairs to leave the celebration behind him and put the distant CCT in front. "Excuse me, but I believe I have a report to make."_

* * *

The next tower that Ruby found herself underneath the shadow of was that of Beacon Tower, the light of the morning sun hidden behind the clock face rather than the moon. No suspicious characters cloaked in the night prowling around, but it did little to comfort her as she entered through the front. No enemies or combat ready to be had either, or having past it and leaving her to witness the aftermath; just the empty lobby.

There were, however, elevators ready to take her up and seeing them did make her anxious.

Last night had been rather hectic, not only with the assault made by the intruder but the hour after that. After the woman in black's disappearance from the CCT, a search had been conducted with Ruby having seen the squads of soldiers that patrolled throughout Beacon, looking for any signs of the intruder. She was probably the only student who had known what was going on as everyone else had been enjoying the dance and continued to do so, oblivious to how their school had been infiltrated.

As for what she had done during the aftermath, she had been detained to the communications room of the CCT where Ironwood had found her. Her innocence she managed to establish, but the general had kept her in place – a 'precaution' he had said, and with her having been the only one to fight the intruder and still be conscious, she was the only witness that he could question. Something which he had done extensively, firing off question after question between the reports of the search parties, wanting to know each and every detail with Ruby struggling to keep up.

She had been relieved when Ozpin arrived, having been notified of the incident and having traveled to the crime scene. Once he saw Ruby, he had intervened in the questioning, turning Ironwood to monitoring the movements of the security personnel while the headmaster remained at Ruby's side, something which the young Huntress was grateful for. She was even more so when he suggested that she be allowed to return to her dorm, citing that resting and recovering from the excitement would do better for her recall.

She hadn't realized how much she needed it until she left the CCT and everything hit her all at once. Stumbling upon the defeated guards, investigating the area with the threat looming over her of the culprit still being around, somewhere, and being proven right with the discovery and the fight soon after. Then just sitting in a chair, worried and fidgeting, while Ironwood asked his questions and she listened to the progress of the soldiers. There had been no results reported when she left.

First thing this morning, she received a summons to report to Ozpin's office for that follow-up that had been promised.

Although she was nervous, it wasn't solely the debrief that made her so. She had used the time well, sorting out what happened last night. What was bothering her was that if last night was the _only_ thing she should tell them about.

The elevator came much too fast for her liking and she chose to make up for it by standing inside it once she entered for a few moments, staring at the button that would send her up to Ozpin's office. _Should I tell them about what we found?_

The question repeatedly came to her last night, coupled with if the intruder had anything to do with what was going on with Torchwick and the White Fang. Initially, Ruby thought it was just the timing that made her suspect that but there was something else that was bothering her: the intruder herself.

 _Her clothes lit up,_ she recalled with that image of the yellow-orange glow. _And she deflected my bullets just like that other woman who had been with Torchwick._

The Dust robbery seemed like forever ago but she would always remember it as the turning point in her life that landed her here. With recent actions against Torchwick, she had lately thought back to it with him as the focus with their first meeting being the omen of their future battles. She may not have forgotten about his companion, but that person had been drifting more into obscurity…until now.

Ruby never got a good look at her face, but that power she wielded that let her contend with a veteran Huntress like Goodwitch she would never forget, especially with her having been at ground zero for some of those fire-based spells that had been casted. That sensation of narrowly avoiding such destructive capabilities both when she dodged those arrows and when Goodwitch had thrown her out of the way of a Dust-fueled eruption were very memorable. Not to mention having the attention of those flaming eyes.

Ruby finally reached up and pressed the button for Ozpin's floor. _I promised Weiss._

She told Weiss that if things became too dangerous – as in, dangerous enough for a team of first-years -, she would tell their professors and let them handle it. She hadn't said that just to convince her; she had meant it. Yet she hadn't thought it necessary so far. They had been doing well working as a team and their engagements so far had gone successfully.

 _But then there's this whole thing in the southeast._ Ruby began rocking on her heels as the elevator went up, floors passing by in that same too-fast manner as when the elevator arrived. _And now something happened right in the middle of Beacon._

Not too dangerous yet, but growing unsettling enough for Ruby to wonder if this was all something that she and her team could handle by themselves. Should she tell Ozpin while talking about last night? Did she have to tell him everything? Maybe just mention the southeast. But he would probably want to know how she found out and if he asked she wasn't sure what she would tell him.

The elevator kept going up, the window that Ruby had time to think shrinking with the ticking of the floors.

 _I'm not ready yet!_ Panicking, Ruby slammed her hands against the panel, hitting all the buttons, and sighed with relief when the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. After waiting the appropriate amount of time, they closed, the elevator went up another floor, and the doors opened again.

 _Phew._ The cloaked girl rested her back against the elevator. _Everything's okay._

The doors closed, it went up another floor, they opened, waited, and closed again. After five more repeats of this, Ruby stared at the lit buttons that she hit, each one a floor of this very very tall tower.

_…I regret this decision._

* * *

"They were here." James swung around and slammed his fist upon the desk and repeated, "Ozpin, they were here!"

"We are very much aware of that!" Glynda snapped, her patience already worn thin and now breaking with this latest outburst. "Thank you, James."

The general threw up his hands. "Fantastic! You're aware." He looked between her and Ozpin, the latter of whom was seated at his desk with fingers against his head as if dealing with a migraine, something Glynda could believe. "Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?"

This was the same tirade that he had gone on last night and what had taken up most of this morning while they waited for Ruby. So far, it had done little and Glynda had to prevent the grinding of her teeth as she faced him, the two standing at odds in front of the headmaster's desk.

 _Empty bluster,_ she silently insulted, wondering just what James thought they should do when they had no idea how to proceed. No target; just one big mess.

There came an interruption before either could go on, that being the beeping at Ozpin's desk, a notification winking on. It brought life back to the headmaster who raised his head to the hologram and stood up to face the elevator. "Come in."

It opened a moment later and Glynda's anger was slightly dulled when the small form of Ruby Rose entered, the girl smiling nervously at the three adults. "Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here." A pause. "It wasn't me."

"Thank you for coming, Ruby," Ozpin greeted, his stance rigid with hands clasped in front of him but words benign. "How are you feeling?"

Ruby had been drifting closer, hands wrung together, and Glynda couldn't help but feel sympathy for her student. She had arrived at the CCT late but she had caught the young Rose departing from it, the fifteen-year-old looking just as tense and very out of place in her red dance dress amongst the fully-armored Atlas soldiers that hustled about. Glynda distinctly remembered describing the sight as sad.

Ozpin's greeting did seem to get her to relax, if only just. "Okay, I guess." Trying to put more into her smile, she said, "I'd feel better if my bad guy catching record wasn't oh for three."

Silence was her reward, the three of them unamused.

Ruby rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, her smile disappearing. "Okay, so that's the tone we're going for. Got it."

James approached and placed his ungloved hand on her shoulder. "Ruby, I feel it's appropriate to let you know that I think what you did last night was exactly what being a Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat, you took action, and you did the very best you could."

Ruby appeared surprised at the compliment but accepted it with a timid, "Thank you, sir."

Glynda glanced at Ozpin with a critical frown. He met her gaze and she caught the covert movement of his fingers that called for peace. Grudgingly, Glynda complied. The general may've thought that Ruby performed well but, other than wishing that she hadn't been the one to be there, Glynda saw her student's performance as reckless. As soon as Ruby knew something was wrong, she should've called and waited for an experienced Hunter rather than take the intruder on herself.

"Now," Ozpin spoke up, attracting everyone's attention, "the general here has already informed us of the events that…transpired last night. But now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add."

"Was anyone with her?" Glynda asked. "Did she look familiar to you at all?"

"I…" Ruby's eyes wandered, lips pursed as she tried to remember only to slowly shake her head. "I don't know. She was wearing a mask, and she never said anything to me. But I know she fought with glass!" Her brow furrowed in thought. "I don't think that was her Semblance though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked."

Glynda tapped her crop against her palm. "Save for the glass…that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby."

"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique," James countered. "It could've been anyone."

 _Or it could've been the same person,_ Glynda silently rebuked with the displeasure that she leveled at James. Ancient technique or not, putting Dust into clothing required someone who was skilled in its application. For someone who showed such mastery over Nature's Wrath as the woman at the Dust shop did, it would be easy to extend that skill to Dustweaving. Glynda had failed to see another like that since then.

"Wait," Ruby called out, bringing them back to her. "You think that girl is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?"

Ozpin stroked his chin in deliberation. "It's possible. But we still lack the required evidence to link the two together."

The next frown to be sent his way was by James. Glynda watched as Ozpin kept his composure against the open ridicule, the two men staring each other down.

Ruby was oblivious, looking hard at the floor, chewing on her lip. "Actually, I think I remember her saying something about a hideout or something. In the southeast, just outside the kingdom."

"Interesting," Ozpin murmured.

Glynda scrutinized Ruby. "I thought you said the intruder never-"

Ozpin interrupted her and she had been with the man long enough to know the tone that he was using. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ruby. Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you."

"Anytime!" To Glynda, Ruby was a bit too quick in turning away from them and going for the elevator before the headmaster stopped her.

"And Miss Rose, please try and be discrete about this matter."

Ruby nodded meekly. "Yes, sir."

They waited until she was on her way down before Glynda and James rotated to Ozpin in unison. He ignored their knowing looks, staring at the closed doors of the elevator before taking a seat behind his desk.

"No comment?" Glynda asked.

He didn't comment, instead sending a question to James. "What's the status of your men that were injured last night?"

"Alive," James answered, knowing as much as Glynda to not pursue the line of inquiry that they both had in mind. "They'll pull through but none of them had been in any shape for extensive questioning."

Ozpin nodded. "What of the transmit tower? Have your technicians uncovered anything?"

"Too soon to tell but initial scans have come up inconclusive. I'd like to think that Miss Rose had managed to stop the intruder before they could perform any acts of sabotage but I wouldn't be a general if I relied on assumptions for something like that."

"Is it possible?" Glynda asked. "I didn't think something like the CCT would be that vulnerable for anyone to walk in and introduce something into the system."

"Normally, no," James replied, more troubled than annoyed at what could've been seen as an insult to Atlas's greatest creation. "Again, I'm no technician so you'd have to ask one of them, but I've been told it's impossible for any kind of remote interception of transmissions or infiltration of the network itself. If one wanted to sabotage or listen in on conversations, they'd have to do so directly whether it be bugging a specific terminal or introducing some kind of intrusion program. Even then, security protocols and regularly-scheduled system scans would make sure any such programs wouldn't last a week if it was ever introduced.

"The problem is that last night the CCT had been undergoing a massive system update. The towers of the other kingdoms will be given the same but Vale is the first to get it to coincide with the other changes such as the replacing of the 130s with the 200s. Unfortunately, the update required security AIs and many other systems to revert to a passive setting to provide smoother implementation. According to the technicians, if someone wanted they could, in theory, slice a program into the system; one that'll be much harder to locate and could remain undetected until its activation."

"The intruder knew when the network would be at its most vulnerable."

James nodded gravely. "They did."

"What of the Paladin that you recovered last week?" Ozpin asked.

"Ah, that." James's expression grew more serious. "We were on the scene and managed to recover all that we could of the wreckage while providing local police with a story to tell to the media."

Glynda held her tongue on that particular handling. As soon as the first broadcast had been made, Atlas had deployed an entire squad of soldiers with supporting ships from their fleet. They arrived with their usual extravagant entrance and all but kicked out the officers of the VPD that had located and cordoned off the wreckage of the battlesuit, leaving them with the threat that action would be taken against the department if they reported any of what they saw, deeming it as a breach of military secrets.

"I forwarded the ID number back to headquarters." James scowled. "It was one of ours."

"And you said you hadn't brought any of them with you."

"I authorized no such transfer of any nature. The prototypes and all first-line production models should still be in their assorted hangars and development facilities back in Atlas."

"All except one, apparently," Glynda noted.

"…If it was one." At her incredulity, James explained, "I ordered an investigation as soon as we identified the Paladin. I missed the latest report but what has been found so far is enough to leave me very concerned."

"Concerned as in there may be _more_ out there?" Glynda exclaimed with disbelief. Couldn't the military keep anything locked up?

Face tight with severity, James broke away to step over and stare out through the clock window of the tower. "That's what the evidence points to. As to where they could be if that is the case, I believe Ruby gave us the answer."

"A hideout in the southeast," Ozpin repeated, his back to James.

"There we have it," the general spoke with purpose. "We send as many troops as we can to the southeast, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way."

Typical, and Glynda found herself glowering at him, slashing her crop as she snapped. "Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado? You treat every situation like it's a contest of measuring di-!"

"Glynda!"

She turned to Ozpin and the hand he lifted to quiet her. "Well he does."

"She's right." His chair swiveled around so that he could speak directly to James. "As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we must not be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic."

Glynda angled her head in silent agreement. For how long they've been investigating, this was the first positive lead they had in a long time. But it wasn't one they should pursue with the kind of speed and force that James was demanding. Since this whole thing started, they had done nothing but chase shadows, their enemies hiding behind proxies meant to divert their attention while they remained one step ahead of them. These last few incidents with the White Fang were no doubt another cover while they made their own quick and precise strikes, the attack on the CCT she was sure being one such example. To devote to such an attack, especially with their enemies as highly-placed as they were starting to realize, could turn disastrous.

The clenching of James's fists spoke otherwise as he rounded on Ozpin, his voice low. "I have served you faithfully for years. But if you mean to tell me that your plan is to really hold the defenses and wait-"

"It is _not_!" Ozpin interrupted, springing to his feet and stabbing a finger towards James. More diplomatically, he said, "You're a general, James. So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag bearers, or the scouts?"

James considered the argument. "Fine. I'll gather a small team of my best troops-"

Ozpin shook his head. "While I do not doubt the quality of your men, the environment that they'll be heading to is not suited for them. Though I cannot claim to know the exact location of this hideout, I can form a guess and the area where I'm thinking has seen a large increase in Grimm activity. This is a job for Huntsmen and Huntresses."

James's biting back of a comment was nearly visible but, again, he deferred to the logic. "Hunters, then. I don't have any of my more experienced teams on hand but I can suggest one or two that I believe to be ready for such an endeavor."

"I already have a team in mind."

Glynda had a sneaking suspicion on just which team it was and it was clear that James did as well with how he stared over Ozpin's head and to the elevator. When he returned to Ozpin, it was with a judgment that he didn't hold back on. "Yes, I think I can make a guess on which that is."

The headmaster didn't back down, answering with a calm explanation. "It is the perfect opportunity with the perfect cover. With the first-year teams set to perform their first missions, no one would find it unusual for them to happen to select one that takes them to the southeast."

James said nothing but the tension in the office didn't decrease as the exact opposite occurred. Then, with reproach, he said, "I guess this answers my previous question about your children winning this war, but I didn't think you'd be so willing to send them out to start it."

That broke through Ozpin's patient demeanor. Behind his glasses, Glynda could see an emotion that caused the depths of brown irises to darken.

James proved to be unperturbed by it. "I don't question your decision to accept that girl into Beacon; she's clearly skilled and I get that. She's proving to be a very resourceful and talented student, but that's no excuse to put this kind of burden on her when we both know what this'll include no matter who her family is and what you feel like you owe to-"

"That is _QUITE_ enough!"

Glynda's glasses had slipped to the tip of her nose at the shout but she didn't donate the smallest effort to push them back up. It had gotten through to James, the presence of the now stricken general dwarfed by the passionate aura that Ozpin gave off and what was at odds with his usual disposition.

"Think of what you will of me and my actions," the headmaster uttered dangerously. "However, do _not_ question my intentions. I am a Huntsman, and it is my sworn duty to protect this world from the forces that conspire against it for as long as I maintain that position. Every decision that I make I do with that responsibility in mind which includes those involving my students who have chosen to one day uphold that same duty. Do I make myself clear?"

James couldn't say anything, rendered mute by the headmaster.

"Am. I. _Clear_?"

"Crystal." The general's face became a blank mask. Straightening, he folded his arms stiffly behind his back and nodded curtly. "I'll take my leave then."

Not saying anything more, he circled around Ozpin and crossed over to the elevator in a measured, military gait. Neither man looked back at the other during the entire time it took for the elevator to arrive. The last that Glynda saw of him was his back before the doors sealed him away from sight.

Despite his exit, neither she or Ozpin made a move with the latter still focused on where James had been standing. Eventually the older man did move, dropping and sitting slumped in his seat, fingers coming up to massage his temples. "Glynda, please send a message to Bartholomew. I need to speak with him."

"Of course." The retrieval of her scroll was automatic. Shifting her glasses back up, she tapped the screen only to stop and examine the bowed headmaster. Gently, with no measure of accusation, she asked, "So what happened to letting them remain as children?"

"It seems that that is a role they wish to shed sooner rather than later." Ozpin did not seem powerful anymore. Though his hand fell away, he continued sitting stooped. "They have chosen to trust us with this so we will do the same and, hopefully, we can take measures to ensure that they do not come to regret this."

Glynda returned to her scroll to carry out his request. It took one who made many mistakes to obtain the bitter knowledge of how to prevent them. Nevertheless, though she knew him to have made too many in his life, there were never any guarantees that would make any of what he had gone through worth it. In the end, she could only hope that what decisions he would make in the future would not add to what he had already given up.

* * *

"She's taking a while," Yang said worriedly, glancing at the hanging clock to see that an hour had passed since Ruby left for Ozpin's office. She and the rest of Team RWBY had done nothing but fret during her absence.

"She should be fine." While Weiss spoke more calmly, Yang was getting better at picking up on the concern that the fencer was attempting to conceal. "All they want to do is go over what happened last night with her."

The reminder of last night did little to make Yang feel better. None of them had known what had taken place, all of them completely ignorant. It was Weiss who eventually caught on to something being wrong and she came to Yang and Blake while they were dancing to ask if any of them had seen Ruby. After a fruitless search, they gave in to using their scrolls to discover her whereabouts which she answered with the news that she was at their dorm.

Ruby being Ruby, she had insisted that nothing was wrong and they should continue to enjoy their night. It was because of how they had come to know their leader so well that they made a beeline to their dorms, cornering and then convincing her to tell them what was wrong. None of them had been particularly thrilled to find out that while they had been having fun, she had been fighting a dangerous trespasser.

Yang switched to Blake, the faunus having been trying to read earlier but the closed book that she abandoned on her mattress hinted to how well that went. Ruby had been at the top of her worry list but once they made sure that she hadn't come to any harm, Blake had been next in line. Considering how she had finally put her worries aside to enjoy the night, only for the events of said night to occur, Yang feared a relapse.

Blake wasn't expressing any such thing and Yang was taken aback to find her girlfriend being the one to appear worried for her as she assured, "I'm sure she's okay."

About as soon as she said so, the door creaked open and it was _still_ opening when they sped towards it, Yang being the first to shout, "What happened!?"

Ruby jerked back at suddenly being accosted by her three teammates. Sweeping over their urgent looks, she chuckled nervously. "Uh, well, um…heh. May I come in first?"

They granted her that, giving her the space to enter the sanctity of their dorm. Under the combined attention of her team, Ruby reported on what happened at Ozpin's office. First on how he, Goodwitch, and Ironwood had all asked questions which she answered truthfully…followed by telling them about something they didn't ask for: the hideout in the southeast.

"I thought it was the right thing to do," Ruby explained. "I did think about not saying anything but after what happened I figured it would be better if I told them at least that much."

Yang felt inclined to agree. Considering what they knew and what they suspected, it was probably better to at least inform their professors about the base in case they were biting off more than they could chew. Sure, it may prevent them from seeing the end of the investigation they started if they did take over, but if it meant insuring the wellness of the kingdom and its citizens, it would be a small price to pay. She certainly knew the risk of taking things too far.

Weiss didn't appear to be sharing the sentiment, arms crossed in disapproval. "That was a risky move."

Behind her, Blake was quietly mulling it over "No." She smiled supportively at her leader. "I think you handled it well."

Ruby had become subdued at Weiss's opinion but Blake's support did help a little as she mumbled, "I hope so."

Seeing her downcast had Yang reaching of to give her an affectionate squeeze at her shoulder. "I'm sure everything will be all right, Ruby." Trying to think of how she could get her sister to feel better, Yang abruptly remembered something that had been delivered to them. "Oh, I know what will cheer you up!"

"What's that?" Ruby asked, intrigued.

"I don't know yet." Moving to one of their desks, Yang retrieved an upright cardboard cylinder that had come through the mail and held it up for Ruby to see. "Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together."

The news of a package was more than enough, Ruby squealing as soon as she saw it. "Oooo! Something from home!" She immediately zipped across the room, latching onto Yang's back and waving her arms wildly towards it.

Laughing internally, Yang held it up, keeping it just out of Ruby's reach, and flipped it over. A heavy shake popped open one of the plastic caps at the ends with another getting something to fall out of it.

A black furry roll dropped to the floor with Yang thinking that their dad had sent some kind of small rug or blanket. That was until it started performing short bounces. Blake and Weiss were immediately fascinated, crowding around it with their partners to collectively examine the furry, jumping thing.

It was after a third bounce that it transformed, four short legs extending from the roll and breaking the all-black appearance with white. A stubby tail of the same color protruded from the rear. At the front, there came a pointy muzzle with a black, moist nose on a triangular head topped with erect ears tapered to rounded points; white on the inside, black on the out. Small, beady gray eyes looked up at the four who stood over it, the short tail wagging excitedly once it saw them.

It was a dog: a little black-and-white corgi that barely came up to their knees. It barked up at them twice.

The reactions were instantaneous, Weiss and Blake jumping back and screaming in shock. As for Yang and Ruby, theirs were of jubilation.

"ZWEI!" Squealing, Ruby bent down, scooping up the dog in her arms and rubbing her face against him, dissolving into delighted laughs and giggles when he began licking her face.

Yang could hardly believe that their family pet was here but she was leaning over to rub the top of his head adoringly. Off to the side, Blake and Weiss continued staring at the dog with disbelief.

"He sent a dog!?" Blake cried.

"In the mail!?" Weiss contributed.

"Oh he does stuff like this all the time," Yang informed, grinning widely.

"Your father or your dog?"

Yang lifted her gaze to Blake to answer but stopped when she saw that her girlfriend wasn't with them. She looked higher up to find her hiding on Ruby's bunk, peeking over the foot of the bed to give Zwei a look of narrow-eyed caution.

That was when Yang remembered that RWBY already had a cat. _Oooooooh my God._

Before she could make one of the hundreds of cat jokes that were budding at this revelation, Weiss had recovered enough to come forward and bend over to examine Zwei with displeasure. "Are you telling me that this mangy…"

Conscious of her presence, the corgi broke off from licking Ruby to roll over enough in her arms to look at Weiss.

"Drooling…"

His tongue was hanging while he panted, watery gray eyes focused on her.

"Mutt…" Stars suddenly sparkled in Weiss's eyes, the heiress puckering her lips, creating a hilarious inflection to her voice when she cooed, "Is gonna wiv wif us forever? Oh yes he is, yes he is!"

It was Yang's turn to stare at Weiss with shock, not expecting the baby talk to go with the ecstatic smile that formed as the Schnee heiress began poking at the black nose with the tip of her finger, Zwei playfully nipping at it. Needless to say, Ruby appeared overjoyed at her partner being more than willing to accept her pet.

"Awh, isn't he adorable!?" Weiss continued cooing.

Blake was nowhere near as enthused, having moved from the foot to the head of Ruby's bed in order to achieve as much distance as possible from Zwei. "Please keep it away from my belongings."

The team was distracted when a speaker crackled on, Professor Goodwitch's voice breaking through. "Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater?"

 _Uh oh,_ Yang thought, having completely forgotten about what today was.

"Well we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for a week," Weiss said, referring to their mission that they were supposed to select today.

While Ruby set Zwei down, Yang removed the other cap from the package and peered inside. "Look, there's a letter."

With Ruby and Weiss drifting nearer to read the slip of paper that Yang pulled out, none of them noticed Zwei amble over to their bunks, standing up on his hind legs and pressing his forepaws against Weiss's. He was well short of reaching Ruby's but that didn't stop Blake from scooching further away from the edge. She sat there, petrified, as he stared up at her with a curious head tilt. She hesitantly lifted one arm as slow as possible, not wishing to startle him, and went frozen again when he did bark at the miniscule movement.

"'Dear girls'," Yang read, unaware of her partner's plight. "'I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang'."

Either giving up or more interested in food, Zwei rushed back to sit at Yang's feet, Blake watching him go, relieved but remaining wary. Seeing him, Yang flipped the cylinder over and held it over Zwei. A shake provided an unexpected result: dozens of cans – way more than what should realistically fit in the package – fell out and piled on top of Zwei, momentarily hiding him from view before his head poked back out.

"What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss asked.

One last shake and a can opener fell out, hitting Zwei on the head but him paying no mind to it, happily panting within his pile of canned dog food.

"Well, that settles it!" Yang declared. Making for the door, she waved them to follow her. "Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!"

Remaining dubious, Weiss nonetheless followed but not without bending down to stroke and pet Zwei's face while passing. "Oh I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you again, oh you're so cute…" The rest dissolved into that incomprehensible cooing, Weiss petting him for as long as possible until her arms could no longer reach.

 _I guess she never had a pet before._ A _thunk_ got Yang's attention and she looked back in time to see Blake hopping off their desk, having leaped from the bed and to it in order to avoid the floor and the canine that lurked. A grin stretched all across Yang's face.

Blake saw it and began glowering at her as they exited the dorm. "Don't say a word."

Reverse psychology was a funny thing as Yang was compelled to do the opposite. "So does this include dog faunus or-?"

" _Don't_."

Huh, call her crazy but Yang was pretty sure that Blake just said, 'please say more'. "Well between this and the laser pointer, I'm suddenly curious. I can't help but notice that whenever we have to vacuum, you just happen to be long gone every single time."

"Yang…"

"I know things are rough, but maybe you and Zwei can bond over squeaky toys."

"I'm warning you."

* * *

With the others gone, Zwei's scruffy head swiveled to the only person left.

Ruby hummed indecisively as she considered him. She really didn't wish to leave him here for the several days they were to be gone, not with how happy he looked to be seeing her again, but she couldn't really bring him with them on their mission.

…Or could she?

Struck with an idea, Ruby's eyes fell on her Beacon-labeled backpack. Picking up Zwei and immediately shushing him when he barked, she unbuttoned the top flap and placed him inside. Compared to getting shoved into a mail container, the space in the backpack was plenty snug for the corgi who looked down at its latest home and then its owner, a question rumbling at the back of his throat.

Ruby held a finger to her lips. "Stay in the bag and be quiet until it's safe to let you out. Got it?"

Zwei remained quiet, already obeying her order. Smiling, Ruby gave him a final pat before flipping the flap over his head and buttoning it in place. The bag shifted, Zwei getting comfortable, and then stilled.

In an ordinary family, people would probably balk at the idea of bringing a dog on what had to be a dangerous mission. The key difference here was that Zwei was the pet of a family of Hunters and he was no ordinary dog. So with no reservations, Ruby threw on the pack, adjusted the straps to accommodate Zwei's weight, and walked out into the hall, Zwei staying true to her instructions as there wasn't the smallest indication of life from him.

She wasn't expecting Weiss to be out in the hall waiting for her. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Ruby answered casually, hands removing themselves from the straps to not attract her partner's attention. "You didn't have to wait for me."

The heiress didn't even glimpse at the bag, eyes sticking unwaveringly to Ruby. "I don't know. Considering the last time I let you out of my sight, it was for you to get into that whole mess yesterday."

"That's still bothering you?" Ruby walked past Weiss to catch up with their teammates, too busy praying that she wouldn't ask about her bag to give her anything else other than a, "It all turned out good so let's focus on Team RWBY's first official mission!" She supplemented the declaration with a fist waving energetically in the air and her walk turning into a jog.

Weiss was slow to follow and her answer was nearly lost to Ruby who bounded down the stairs. "Let's."

* * *

They had to be the last to arrive, the interior of the amphitheater containing a huge crowd that got the air buzzing with side chatter and conversation. At the head of the assembly was the stage, Professor Goodwitch already speaking into a raised microphone. "Quiet. Quiet, please."

Ruby broke away from her team, taking a small detour to a baggage area where cases, packs, and other kits of what she guessed to be equipment and supplies that other students prepared for their missions were located. Ruby set her pack down at the front, making sure to have it facing out so that she would be able to easily spot it, and then went to rejoin the others.

The crowd, she soon saw, wasn't a unified body. Instead, it was actually divided into four groups that were lined in front of the stage with a measure of space separating each. For one group, its members were marked with the white long-sleeve shirts and wool vest jackets of Atlas students. Another, the gray and black of Mistral's Haven uniforms dominated another. As for the third, there were no uniforms whatsoever; just casual clothes that favored t-shirts, shorts, and skirts. Ruby pegged them as residents of Vacuo.

All the way to the left, Ruby's teammates were merging into the expanse of browns that signified trainees of Beacon. She hurried on after them and found herself greeting their friends in JNPR while she took her spot next to Weiss.

She didn't have the time to do anything else for once she said her hellos, Goodwitch's amplified voice reverberated through the amphitheater again. "Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin."

The headmaster had been standing to the side the whole time, only coming to the forefront when Goodwitch conceded the floor to him. Up at the ceiling, the lights dimmed save for the one that shone down on him. The announcement and his approach swiftly put an end to the discussions being shared amongst the arrayed students and Ozpin waited patiently for the last of the gossip to die down, assessing those gathered with a discernable satisfaction.

"Today we stand together, united," he spoke and began gesturing towards each group. "Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, Vale: the four kingdoms of Remnant. On this day nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with who, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought four countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression."

He shook his head sadly. "And as you all are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color."

Ruby was listening intently to the speech and she knew how much her smile grew at this part in particular. Unlike those stories that spoke of such battles and triumphs in a fantasy setting, this was something that had been real and what made the world she currently existed in. Other than the wonder and admiration for such tales, there was something else that swelled intensely: pride. Pride of not only belonging to one but _two_ traditions.

The first was that of a Huntress, a duty that her parents and other family members upheld and she always took delight in considering herself as their successor to that tradition along with Yang. But then there was the second, the one that she became aware of when she was old enough to understand the significance of the name that she had been given. Unlike the other, which had been in existence for as long as anyone could remember, the one responsible for her name was less than a century old.

It made it more personal – more significant – in its own way that her generation had come right after such a war-torn era, and her name was a mark rooted to those who had fought against that tyranny that was vanquished.

Being a Huntress and being Ruby Rose was a union that combined those traditions, both of which entailed one thing: opposing and eliminating all manner of evil for the sake of peace and justice.

"It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression," Ozpin praised, "but neither would the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity – through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united, but this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it."

At the outer rim of the amphitheater, a number of blank holographic displays rose up.

"As first-year students, you'll be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission." As he continued, text began to fill the displays to create a list of missions, each one with a short description. "Some of you will be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."

Ozpin backed away from the mic, the amphitheater brightening as the lights fully came back on, and the applause followed his departure from the stage.

"This is perfect!" Ruby proclaimed as the mass of students broke up to choose from the assorted missions. "All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast."

Yang was quick to agree exuberantly. "Yeah, we'll follow them around by day and give them the slip at night!"

"Let's check search and destroy," Weiss suggested.

Together they perused through the missions, Ruby at least taking some interest in the selections. As Ozpin established, the missions were for both inside and outside the kingdom. Search and rescue for a missing trader, escort for a family moving into Vale from one of the outlying villages, perimeter defense to guard engineers repairing any damage to the walls, and peacekeeping through criminal investigation and apprehension.

Though Hunters are mainly romanticized as monster slayers by the general public, it wasn't their sole responsibility. Ruby was guilty of the same thing, she having been focusing on the fighting arts at Signal before Beacon made sure to instill to her that being a Huntress entailed more than just fighting.

The core of Huntsmen and Huntresses is the service and protection of the citizens whether they be within the kingdoms or out beyond the walls, no different from a police officer. They had better training and resources that allowed them to brave the wilds and take on the Grimm but, as one could see by the listing, most of the missions may involve Grimm but killing them was not the objective. A Hunter's main objective was to contribute as much as they could to civilization.

Contrary to what their title implied, they were guardians, not exterminators, and ones that must always promote that image in order to ensure that the public could rely on them. By defending a wall that kept the kingdom safe, recovering supplies that were needed for the survival of a village, or assisting local police in uncovering and arresting a dangerous criminal to keep inner-city peace, it kept that relationship and that trust strong.

It wasn't restricted to a Hunter's home kingdom either as it was residents from Atlas, Vacuo, and Mistral who were currently selecting what were Vale-based missions along with Beacon students. Even then, it had to be remembered that Beacon students were from different kingdoms and outside territories. For Huntsmen and Huntresses, there were no borders or segregation of any kind, the practice of exchange students being a common one and RWBY would most likely find itself being the transferees during their training. No matter where they went, it was always expected of them to offer their skills and protection to all.

"Here we go!" Ruby pointed towards one of the entitled Search and Destroy missions. "Quadrant five needs Grimm cleared out!"

Blake studied the details. "Well, it's in the southeast."

"Sounds perfect," Yang chimed in.

Ruby tapped her finger against the display and a window appeared for her to input their team name. After typing in the four letters, she hit submit. The notification that followed was not what she expected.

_[MISSION UNAVAILABLE TO FIRST YEAR STUDENTS]_

"Wonderful," Weiss said once the red letters dissolved and reverted to the mission display with no change.

"Any other ideas?" Blake asked.

Ruby happily suggested her Plan B. "We _mail_ ourselves there!"

"Well, that's one option." Coming out from behind the display was Ozpin, scroll in hand. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students." When he lowered the device in order to address them, it was with too-casual interest. "It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that the four of you will make your way there no matter which job you choose."

Ruby did her best to look innocent against Ozpin's pointed stare and knew she was coming up short. It didn't help that she could sense the looks that her team was sending her way, full of accusation. "Whatever makes you say that?"

"I'm still curious as to how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester," Ozpin said, his gaze falling upon each of them. "I'm interested to know how you really learned about a 'hideout' in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago."

"Um…" Ruby mumbled, desperately digging for an excuse she knew she didn't have. "Well…"

"I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for." He lifted his scroll back up. "So how about this? Instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?" He punched a command into his scroll and the window for the Search and Destroy mission stood out with a different notification appearing over it.

_[ASSIGNED]_

The members of RWBY shared amazement with one another before regarding their headmaster, Ruby being the one to determinedly say, "We won't let you down. Thank you, professor."

"Do not thank me for this," he replied, the easy disposition becoming stern as he observed them. "Team work and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand: the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory."

When he broke away from them, it was with a successful diminishing of the mood. The looks that were passed between RWBY this time were tense. Unsettled.

"Good luck," Ozpin added as his departing words.

His warning was still hanging over their heads when the girls filed out, Ruby making sure to retrieve her backpack and its hidden contents on the way. Despite having gotten what they wanted – with approval, no less -, the excitement that had carried them on since they decided on taking the fight to their enemies had been torn down by Ozpin. Even Ruby could sense it. Between what happened last night, her questioning this morning, and now their headmaster stressing on the dangers of what was beyond the city, it left them disconcerted.

For all the dangers and risks that they had taken so far, triumphing in spite of them had put the real threat of failure further away from them. It hadn't possessed any real meaning for them until now with someone like Ozpin laying it down.

"That wasn't exactly uplifting," Yang said with an apt description.

"But it's the truth," Blake defended.

"It's going to be tough but I know we can do it!" Ruby interjected, trying to get their spirits back up. Whether it was overconfidence or not, they've been doing well as a team so far. So long as they stuck together, they would surely succeed!

"Hey, Team CFVY's back!" someone shouted.

It got Ruby and the gang to notice the team that was cutting through the trainees who just left the amphitheater. They didn't garner much attention from the exchange students, receiving only cursory looks, but a number of Beacon students had dropped whatever it was they were doing to stare and even approach the line of four.

 _With good reason_ , Ruby thought as she and her team went over with added haste. _After all, it's CFVY!_

As for who CFVY was, it was one of Beacon's veteran teams and one that carried some renown as could be plainly seen. For Ruby, their reputation for effectiveness in handling tough missions involving the Grimm with their teamwork and individual skills was something she wished her team to be known for when they became seniors.

At the head of the line was Fox Alistair, a boy of dark complexion with messy dark copper hair. He was simply dressed in a high-collared, sleeveless vest of muted orange zippered at the front and black jeans. It left his scars visible; his arms covered with them with another notable one crossing vertically down his lips. Ruby could only imagine the battle stories that they told, each one probably received when he dove right into his enemies in order to tear them to ribbons with the orange blades that curved along his arms, each one strapped to his hands around the wrist and over his knuckles. As for his eyes, they were a startling pair of white.

He gave off the impression of someone who didn't care about appearances, which was ironic given who his partner and team leader was. Behind him was Coco Adel, the fashionista of Beacon as she was known as. Always following and dressing in the latest fashion, her current getup seemed more for modeling than combat. Browns and blacks with a long-sleeved shirt, leather high-heeled boots, and trousers of those colors that were covered in accessories: a feathered scarf, a slip of a skirt, beaded bracelets and necklaces, and a bullet-lined belt with a gold crosshairs buckle. Ruby had yet to see Coco without those black aviator sunglasses or the beret, and that went double for the black handbag with golden studs dangling from her shoulder. Her brown hair was cut short, barely going past her ear lobes save for the one long lock at the front, the end dyed in orange and red colors.

As for the third member of CFVY in line who also happened to make up the third letter, it was someone who they knew very well.

"Velvet, are you okay?" Blake asked worriedly as soon as they reached them.

The bunny-eared faunus they had come to know as Velvet Scarlatina stopped and turned to address them. For having met her at the start of their school year when she had been bullied by CRDL, none of RWBY had suspected the girl to be their senior, or to be part of a team like CFVY. It was easier to believe for this instance, not just for Velvet being dressed for battle but it being obvious that she had just come from one. Her clothes and hair were disheveled, features worn, and there had been the slump of fatigue in her stance and in her hanging ears before she straightened both and smiled at them.

"I'm fine," she assured. "I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me."

She was as different from her partner as Fox and Coco were. Small and thin to the point of delicate, Yatsuhashi Daichi was nothing of the sort. At seven feet and all of that with oversized muscles, Ruby couldn't think of any student as gigantic as he was. On his back was a long-handled sword with a thick, curved blade sporting a golden edge that was fitting for his stature, the end reversing into a barb-like hook.

As threatening as he looked, how he bowed his close-shaven head to the first-year team upon passing spoke of the gentle nature within the giant. He was donned in very little armor. Save for the armored belt, plated gloves, and a layered shoulder armor on his left, the boy wore a green robe over a tight black shirt.

Although acknowledging, the nod that Yatsuhashi passed to RWBY carried a respect that they earned along with JNPR. After hearing what Ruby and the others had done for Velvet, the other members of CFVY had accepted and welcomed them as friends. This went double for Yatsuhashi. Whether due to Velvet's heritage, her being his partner, or just the vulnerability that the small bunny girl could give off, the big Huntsman was very protective of her and had shown plenty of gratitude to the first-years for what they did for her when he had been unable to assist her.

While he moved on, Velvet stayed behind to speak with Weiss being next to voice her worries. "Your mission was supposed to end a week ago. What happened?"

Their mission, as they all learned later, was to guard a village that was experiencing an increasing number of Grimm attacks. Go in, defend it, and then push out to exterminate the Grimm presence once it was secured. Though further than most, the village wasn't that remote and the Grimm, while more concentrated, hadn't been that numerous. None of the circumstances should've led to CFVY to be out there for as long as they ended up being, leading many to fear that something had gone wrong.

But Velvet shook her in negative. "Nothing happened. It was just…" Her chin fell a little, letting them better see the fatigue that set in as she stared into space. "There were just so many."

Ruby was expecting the troubled frowns that her teammates had when she looked to them and knew that she had to have one as well. They all heard the rumors and occasional whispers going around school pertaining to the Grimm and that there had been an unusual rise in their activities.

 _Like what's going on with our mission, she_ remembered. Theirs, CFVY's, and who knew how many more. According to one of the hushed conversations, the only other time that the Grimm had been more active had been during the dark ages that led to the Great War.

"Oh, but don't worry!" Velvet cut into their worries. "You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine."

"Riiight," Yang replied, her tone referring to all that the rabbit faunus was unaware of.

"I should go." Velvet gave them a short wave while leaving to reunite with her team. "Be safe, okay?"

With her absence, they were left with this latest bit of unsettling information, but Ruby wouldn't let it shake them up. Determinedly, she stated, "We can do this. We've never backed down before, and we're not going to back to start now."

Blake nodded in agreement and Ruby could see her efforts reaching Weiss and Yang. "Right."

"Besides, it won't only be us out there! We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman!"

"Yeah!" Yang cheered.

Morale restored, Ruby thrust a finger towards the horizon. "Let's do this!"

* * *

That morale came crashing back down minutes later with Yang staring, horrified, at what was waiting for them. _This has got to be a joke. A bad dream that I haven't woken up from yet. It's got to be._

Ruby's expression mirrored her own, their fearless leader lost as to how she could possibly turn this around. Weiss was all eye-bulging shock, and Blake had a look that perfectly expressed how their chances on this mission just went down to 'doomed' levels.

"Why, hello girls!" Professor Bartholomew Oobleck merrily greeted. With an enthusiastic swing of his arm and a smile full of white teeth, he asked, "Who's ready to fight for their lives?"

Silence was his answer, tentatively broken by Weiss. "Professor Oobleck..?"

It was indeed their history teacher. When they had been informed of the airpad that held their assigned transportation, they had set out to it. None of them recognized the figure standing in the middle of the path that led to the waiting Bullhead as their professor. Instead of his usually messy shirt and tie, he was wearing a large brown coat with a rounded pith helmet hiding his mass of green hair

A heavy pack was hanging from his back but when they approached there was no mistaking those opaque lenses when he rounded on them.

Despite all the clues that pointed otherwise, Yang still held some hope that this had to be some sort of mistake. That was until Oobleck started pacing in front of them and his rapid-fire delivery mercilessly gunned down what hopes she had left. "Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, girls, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations. Rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all the essentials, plotted the air course, and readied the airship. And!"

Weiss jerked her head back when Oobleck shot over to stand in front of her, arching to be eye-level with her. "It's _Doctor_ Oobleck. I didn't earn a PhD for fun, thank you very much!"

Weiss was at a loss. "Uh…."

Yang discreetly pinched herself at her thigh. _Nope, not waking up. This is real._

"Come now, children!" Oobleck ordered. "According to my schedule we are already three minutes behind…schedule!" A heartbeat later and he was zooming towards the Bullhead, leaving behind the dust cloud that Yang watched slowly disperse.

"Well, alright then!" Ruby spoke. "Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oobleck-" At receiving the disbelieving headshakes from her teammates she broke off and joined them. "Okay yeah, when you say it out loud it sounds worse."

"Save the world!?" Yang was actually thankful for the distraction, brought to them by Nora who was accompanied by the rest of her team, exhibiting an over exaggerated look of betrayal. "You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt! Sad!"

She tapped a finger to her chin, breaking her rant. "Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault though." She shook her fist towards her partner standing at her side while she glowered at him. " _Ren_."

The boy in question looked away, chin high and arms folded as he ignored her.

"Sounds exciting," Jaune said next. "Where you going?"

"Oh just outside the kingdom," Ruby answered truthfully.

Nora jumped at that, her grievance with Ren immediately forgotten. "Hey, so are we!"

"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow a sheriff of a nearby village," Pyrrha explained.

"We set out tomorrow," Ren informed.

Neptune suddenly appeared at their side with Sun. "Then you can party with us tonight! We're shadowing a crimes specialist. All inner-city detective stuff." As an afterthought, he added, "We get junior badges."

Jaune was the only one to really react to the last, becoming enthralled. "Ooooh!"

"We normally go to the city with you guys," Sun cut in. "…Which means stuff's always exploding and junk. So we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's…ya know." He shrugged. "Normal."

"Well-" Ruby began to reveal until an unexpected shout came from the direction of their Bullhead.

"FOUR MINUTES, LADIES!" Oobleck zipped back into the belly of the airship.

Right, they were heading out now and the fact dawned on their friends. It was more than them needing to go that was responsible for the tense quiet that came over them all though. As Yang watched, she saw uncertain smiles and glances thrown around and quickly deduced the cause.

They had never been separated like this before. They had gone into dangerous areas, sure, but only in places like the Emerald Forest or Forever Fall and even then they had always remained comforted that they were all nearby and looking out for each other with the confidence that they were all going to return to Beacon at the end of the day. While they each viewed their missions with excitement, it was with them all standing here and the realization that they were all heading in different directions, into unknown territory, for an uncertain length of time, that they could perceive the ominous sensation that hovered around them.

They were going one way. Their friends, another. No idea when they were going to see each other again or knowing how they were doing until they came back home much like what they had gone through with CFVY. The only thing that they could hope for was that, when they were reunited, it was for everyone to have done so unharmed.

Ruby's hesitant farewell gave credit to it. "Well…uh. Wish us luck."

 _Yep,_ Yang thought as they dispersed, she and her team to their Bullhead while JNPR and the members of SSSN remained at Beacon. _Guess the fun times really are over now._


	10. Mountain Glenn

With the port hatch open, the wind came blasting into the main cabin of the Bullhead, hair and clothing of the passengers whipping about. Leaning over just enough, Yang was able to view the cityscape of Vale rushing past hundreds of feet below them. She enjoyed her thrills mounted atop her Bumblebee, but Yang had to admit that jetting around this way offered a different kind that her motorcycle lacked. This included how her foot was at such a miniscule distance from the edge of the main cabin and the significant drop beneath, the only thing keeping Yang in place being the overhead loop of leather that acted as a safety handle that she gripped loosely.

As exciting as the ride was though, Yang found herself making another glance across the interior of the airship towards where Oobleck was standing, unperturbed, next to Weiss. It had to be the latest out of a dozen that she made since the Bullhead took off from Beacon, each one followed by the question of, out of all the Huntsmen that they could've landed with, why him?

Whether he had been keeping track of her looks or not, those glass lenses came up to catch her gaze. "Why, Miss Xiao Long, I do believe that you seem to find my presence here astonishing!"

Feeling guilty at being caught, Yang shrugged and had to shout over all the noise made by the Bullhead to be heard. "I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter."

For the entirety of their semester, _Doctor_ Oobleck had never so much as given a hint of his capabilities when it came to battle, instead always lecturing about ones long past and their significance to history – which he would then promptly assign his students to write down about in a report to be turned in at a planned date. With Goodwitch, _no one_ would ever question her status as a Huntress and with how many stories Port eagerly regaled to his students – along with whatever Grimm he had caged on that day -, Yang was under the belief that at least a quarter of them had to be true and that was more than enough for her to be convinced of his legitimacy.

But Oobleck? He was fast, yeah, but Yang wondered how much of that was to blame for caffeine overdose. She was pretty sure she had never seen his weapon unless his wooden teaching pointer that he was usually armed with was such, similar to Goodwitch's crop. Other than that, there was his thermos and cups of coffee and, really, folding frame technology could do amazing things but that was pushing Yang's imaginations.

Oobleck sported amusement at the confession. "I admit, I fancy myself more of an…intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles."

Standing between Yang and Blake, Ruby scratched her head in confusion. "Like the mushroom?"

Blake leaned over to be heard. "Those are truffles."

"Like the sprout?"

It was Yang's turn to do the same. "Those are brussels." Tussles or brussels, she would be happy if Oobleck proved her opinions wrong.

"Besides," Oobleck went on, "given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw it fit to assign me to this particular…assignment!"

That didn't do anything to boost Yang's confidence and she had to agree with Weiss when the heiress asked, "What does history have to do with this?"

Oobleck whipped his head around as if he had been physically struck by the question. "Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys if I were to wager."

"And that means…?"

The speed of the doctor's words actually slowed down a fraction, his tone notably serious when he explained, "The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves. But, it is also the location of one of the kingdom's greatest failures."

"Mountain Glenn," Ruby identified but didn't take any delight in it.

Yang started when the name unleashed a torrent of information. "That's right! It was an expansion of Vale!" Her expression fell when she iterated the rest of the history that she knew of and she understood why both Oobleck and Ruby spoke of it the way they did. "But in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city…"

"Correct!" Oobleck complimented, encouraged by the knowledge of his charges. "And now it stands, abandoned, as a dark reminder."

"And a likely place for a hideout," Blake murmured.

The man shifted his glasses against the rushing wind, a conspiratorial smile blossoming beneath. "Precisely."

It was seeing the gesture and apparently knowing of their true target that confirmed what had gotten Yang suspicious since they started out and it looked like Blake must've caught on. For what had originally supposed to be a Search and Destroy mission, how Oobleck spoke of his expertise and what they were heading out to do – specifically when he termed it as a _reconnaissance_ mission - got Yang to realize that he knew of what their _real_ objective was.

 _It was odd, wasn't it?_ she thought. For it being first-years who were supposed to be selecting missions, there had been one posted that was unavailable to their year. _It perfectly suited our needs too._

And Ozpin had seemed to have been waiting for them. Post a mission that was located in the southeast, make it unavailable, and wait until RWBY came up to take it so that he could assign them to it with a Huntsman that he deemed suitable for them.

It made sense and when Yang looked next to her, it was to see Ruby smiling proudly up at her. She returned it and patted her younger sibling on the back as congratulations. _Guess telling Ozpin was the right move._

Yang tightened her grip on the safety handle when the Bullhead unexpectedly ascended. When she took a look down, it was to see the airship clearing the top of Vale's protective walls. They were officially beyond the city limits now, the urban terrain being swapped with the forests that stretched for the miles and miles that they soared across.

And, soon, they were flying over the devastation of Mountain Glenn.

Having just viewed the beauty of Vale, full of life with well-maintained roads and buildings, Mountain Glenn was a complete reversal when they flew over another wall, this one shattered open with huge chunks having been removed with what remained possessing fissures that split along the concrete. Inside the perimeter, there was paved landscape that was cracked and cratered with what Yang could barely recognize as apartment complexes sagging to one side thanks to crumpled and destroyed supports. What had been destined to be taller skyscrapers were only partially built with one in particular she could see as being nothing more than a skeleton with beams welded in place to take the shape but nothing more.

All conversation came to an end and Yang could see how the rest of RWBY was taking their own looks through the open doors and viewing windows that the Bullhead offered. There was a tense silence, broken only by the airship's engines which tilted and changed in pitch as the pilot up at the cockpit came down for a landing.

They didn't touch down, the Bullhead instead dropping into a hover a couple dozen feet short of the ground. With Ember Celica unfolding over her arms, Yang was the first to jump out and make ready as she brought her gauntlets up. Blake landed next to her, hand on Gambol Shroud but not yet unsheathing it. Weiss fell and dropped into a crouch, Myrtenaster drawn, with Ruby the last to join them with a fully-lengthened Crescent Rose.

Oobleck was in the middle of them but, rather than setting up for combat, he took an indifferent swig from his thermos. Once they all disembarked, the Bullhead took right back off, flying away and the sound of jet engines faded with it.

The whole process had taken five seconds from when Yang had leapt to the airship taking to the skies again. Quick, precise, and all of them prepared to meet whatever dangers would come pouring out. Yang found it rather anti-climactic when all that stood in front of them was a one-story building, what few letters that hadn't fallen from the top naming it as some kind of burger joint or diner. Holes had been busted into one wall, some small that Yang wondered if it was gunfire that made them but the bigger ones spoke of something else having done the deed.

When the Bullhead disappeared from sight and hearing, there was nothing but silence.

"Ladies," Oobleck said and they all relaxed and lowered their weapons to face him. "You still may be students but as of this moment your first missions as Huntresses has begun. From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"

They all nodded wordlessly.

"Ruby!"

The girl in question jumped.

"I thought I told you to leave all your bags at the school!"

Finally did Yang notice the backpack that Ruby was carrying. She remembered seeing Ruby with it when they boarded the airship but had assumed that she was going to leave it on the Bullhead to send it back to Beacon.

Yet there it was, with Ruby moving to hide it behind her while she awkwardly addressed Oobleck. "But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. …So I didn't."

Yang stared at her, deadpanned, but Oobleck brought a hand to his chin and she could've sworn that she actually heard him murmur to himself, "She's not wrong…" Louder, he said," Very well, Ruby, leave your bag here. We can pick it up upon our return."

"But I…uh…"

"Young lady!" he sharply reprimanded. "What in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with-?"

The top of the bag flipped open and out popped Zwei's head who immediately began looking around excitedly at their surroundings.

Ruby went completely stiff, her eyes going huge at the panting at her ear. She looked to her teammates, Blake and Weiss as bewildered as Yang knew she was at seeing the dog with them.

"Get back in the bag," Ruby whispered over her shoulder to Zwei.

He barked in reply.

Oobleck was stock-still, thermos gripped in front of him, and face completely neutral. But it had to be the slowest that Yang had ever heard him when he said, "We're here to investigate an abandoned urban-jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought…a dog?"

Ruby was reminiscent of a deer caught in the headlights, uncertain of what she should do or say to prevent the disaster that was coming right for her. "I…uh…"

"GENIUS!" She fell over when Oobleck suddenly sped over and took Zwei from her pack to spin him around high over his head as he eagerly praised, "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!"

The way that Zwei kicked his legs within Oobleck's grip told of how he absolutely loved the attention, getting him to release another happy bark.

Ruby picked herself up from the ground and joined her team in watching Oobleck spin around with her dog. It dawning on her that she _wasn't_ in trouble, she grinned broadly and pointed towards herself, holding herself high as she said, " _I'm_ a genius!"

Yang and Weiss's palms came smacking into their respective foreheads.

"So…" Blake cut in, face barren of emotion at this turn of events. "What are your orders, doctor?"

Oobleck ceased spinning. "Ah, yes, straight to the chase. I like it!" He let go of Zwei who yapped at being dropped. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which being – Grimm."

They all stared at him. "Uh…what?" Ruby asked.

"Grimm," Oobleck repeated, looking past the four of them. "A creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us at this very moment."

"What!?" Yang spun around, reengaging Ember Celica.

Around the corner of one of those skeletal complexes came a Grimm. A Beowolf. Only one but Yang cocked her gauntlet in preparation and she heard similar reports from the others.

"Stop!" Oobleck hissed urgently. "There are a number of reasons why Grimm would congregate in this particular area. The most likely of which would be their attraction to negativity. Sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred - all qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harboring ill intent."

On closer inspection, it was for Yang to see that the Beowolf wasn't moving in any kind of aggressive manner. It walked around on its four legs, unhurried, its skull-plated head staring at the road that it traveled on. At certain points it paused and lowered to take what Yang assumed to be a sniff at the ground before it scanned the area, searching for something that kept it from noticing the four Huntresses and Huntsman.

"So what now?" Ruby questioned.

"We wait," he replied. "We track. If this specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey."

That didn't sound like fun and Yang planted her hands against her hips while continuing to watch the Beowolf. "How long do we wait?"

"It's uncertain. Hours. Days. Weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months – and there's the whole pack."

"What?" Weiss cried just as one, three – _five_ Beowolves appeared to join the first. Two of them did see the group of Hunters and their growls got the attention of the rest of their brethren.

"And now they've seen us."

"What!?"

Weiss nearly leapt out of her boots when Oobleck shouted in her ear, "AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!"

"I take it tracking is out of the question?" Ruby timidly said.

"An accurate assumption, yes."

"What's the plan, then?" Yang asked.

The news had spread amongst the pack, and not just the Beowolves that they could see. A few lifted their heads and howled. Those calls were answered, more howls reverberating around the destroyed area and more Beowolves came to the scene. What had been half a dozen became a dozen with more arriving amongst the ruins. Even as the first group began charging towards the Huntresses, there were still additional Beowolves arriving and coming up behind them, their numbers growing enough that Yang could feel the collection of pounding feet causing the ground beneath to begin trembling.

"Show me what you're capable of," Oobleck ordered.

That was all Yang needed to hear. Cocking her gauntlets, she was already running to meet the charging monsters.

"Cover your ears, Zwei!" Ruby said, leveling Crescent Rose towards the incoming pack. The corgi lowered his head, ears flattening just as Ruby began firing.

Her heavy rounds were joined with Blake's lower-caliber bullets and Beowolves along the front line jerked and fell, their collapsed bodies sliding across the ground and coming to a dead stop soon after. A ball of fire flew past Yang, Weiss's Dust spell hitting and consuming one Beowolf in flames which sprang to a couple others that were near it, setting their fur on fire and turning them into running torches that howled crazily.

There were plenty more left, all of them running past or over their slain packmates. Yang wasn't bothered, eagerly running headlong into the pack while her team maintained their supporting fire.

Going right into the thick of these monsters with bullets and spells flying all around her, the thrill of combat took over. A pair of Beowolves dropped and over their corpses came a third, its murderous gaze of red locked onto Yang who eagerly met it. When it was close enough it pounced and Yang swung her fist at it without breaking her stride, her knuckles meeting its bonemask with satisfying impact which was followed by the roar and heat of Ember Celica. While she sprinted on ahead, the Beowolf slammed into the ground where it remained there, entirely limp.

The next creature attacked in the same way, leaping forward but with its claws extended. Yang ducked under them, delivered a swift but mighty uppercut into its chin, and beneath the shadow of the now sailing Grimm she claimed her third kill with a more gratifying one-two punch, one fist hammering into one side of the Beowolf's head before the other came swinging around to connect from the opposite side.

She was breaking further into their ranks and was being surrounded in the process, but she wasn't worried. A dropkick with both feet planted into a furred chest flung a Beowolf into its fellows and off to Yang's left came another, paw raised to swipe at her from her flank.

A black-and-white streak cut across it and the lifted paw fell away, severed at the wrist. A second later and the head made the journey down, the now decapitated torso being the last to drop.

Blake appeared at Yang's side, dual-wielding blade and sheath of Gambol Shroud. A diagonal cut with her sword split a Beowolf, caught off guard by her sudden arrival, from shoulder to hip. Her sheath cut across the legs of another, bringing it down so that she could properly behead it. While Yang barreled on into the center, Blake covered her left with her quick bladework and shadow clones that had her intercepting any Grimm that tried to strike at the blonde.

The right flank was taken by Weiss. With close-combat achieved and the application of ranged spells and projectiles as hazardous to allies as it was to enemies, the fencer had joined in with the ninja. A group of Beowolves were skyrocketed by a glyph materializing at their feet and Weiss flipped towards the airborne Grimm, her rapier slashing and stabbing amongst them. When she landed, it was with a rain of dead lyncanthropes.

The only gun to be fired was Crescent Rose and only for Ruby to enter the fray. The curved blade of the scythe caught a Beowolf around the waist, cutting cleanly through it without pause which gave Ruby plenty of momentum to immediately spin her body and scythe around to cleave through another pair.

The pack had its numbers but the advantage did little to make up for the skill and teamwork of the four. Scantly a minute went by before RWBY was standing over the disintegrating pieces of the Grimm and Ruby hefted her scythe upon her shoulder. "Piece of cake!"

Oobleck didn't share her enthusiasm. "Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?"

As it turned out, truer words have never been spoken. Despite how it appeared now, Mountain Glenn had once been an extravagant piece of territory. From the air, Yang figured that it had to at least be as big as Vale's largest district.

On foot, it seemed that much bigger. They were supposed to be searching after all and this had once been a city. Under Oobleck's guidance they spread out in a line but always made sure that they kept each other in visual range. It had started out fine, them having been dropped at the northern end of the area; plenty of open space that they just strolled through, pausing to take a peek inside one of the few buildings that were around.

Once they went from beyond the edge and into the interior of Mountain Glenn's territory, things slowed to a crawl. True to any other human city, there was block after block of densely-packed structures ranging from housing to shops and other complexes. They went through each one and with almost every block there was another Beowolf pack that needed to be exterminated. There were few other common variants of Grimm in the area, Yang not spotting any Ursai or Boarbatusks which made sense.

Beowolves tended to be known the most for their hunting and scavenging ways. They were one of the weakest specimens with very few of their numbers ever managing to live and evolve enough to become the more fearsome Alpha variants. Yang suspected that the population that currently inhabited Mountain Glenn were young, recently-spawned wolves. Reckless, desperate for prey, and attracted to not only what negativity that any bad guys here may be giving off – if they _were_ here, that is – but also because of how Mountain Glenn had once been a _human_ settlement. Abandoned, but they still congregated here in the hopes of finding lingering signs of their mortal enemies amongst the remains of their creations.

 _Just how long ago was this?_ Going further into the heart of Mountain Glenn, it was when they exterminated another pack that Yang asked herself that question. In their searches between the combat, a very eerie silence would descend upon the area where not even a distant Beowolf howl would break it. It made the dirt and debris that their boots kicked up, the creaking of whatever doors they pried open, the wind that blew through the remains of the city, and just their footfalls on the broken roads louder than usual.

Taking long looks at the destruction, there were specimens that were just enough intact that Yang was able to compare them to the whole, sustained structures back in Vale. The basic shape, materials, and engineering were more or less the same which led to Yang thinking that, if she had been here when they had been erected, she'd find little difference between walking through these streets and the ones in Vale. This wasn't like the ancient outpost or temples that they would find in the Emerald Forest that dated back thousands of years. This had been recent.

As to how recent, Yang finally became brave enough to ask. "So when did all this go down?"

Like her, Weiss had moved from inspecting the bases of the structures to further up, possibly imagining what they had been like before the catastrophe. "I can't remember the exact year. Sometime after the war."

"Forty years, in fact," Oobleck informed them, the Huntsman out in front as he led them to the next sector of their search. "Forty years after the war was the proposal brought to the council and another three before it was approved. After the rebuilding, recovery, and restoration that occurred, we went to the next natural step: expansion and development. Peace had made us complacent. Confident. Eager."

He pointed eastward, towards one the broken sections of what had once been a solid wall. "This area was deemed as most suitable. If you noticed when we flew in, this was built on a plateau. While not impassable like a mountain range or an ocean, the elevation that it offered, combined with the construction of the walls, was theorized to be adequate as a barrier that would keep the city protected as, at the time, Grimm activity had been at an all-time low. Once the walls were built and perimeter defenses established, the migration of the first settlers began. Contact with the Grimm had already begun at this point but the specimens encountered were deemed as wandering rogues that were easily vanquished.

Two months later, the number of settlers had reached into the thousands with construction struggling to keep up with the influx. The future looked bright. Grimm incursions continued in frequency and numbers reaching to that of standard groups but were fended off. It was believed that the city was impenetrable and it would only be a matter of time before the Grimm realized this."

Oobleck's hand fell back to his side. "Unfortunately, not even another month had passed before Grimm activity had escalated to what it had been during the Great War. Attacks became a daily event, each one more intense than the last, the panic that spread amongst the populace attracting more powerful Grimm and in greater numbers. It took one week for perimeter defenses to be overrun. Mountain Glenn was surrounded, completely encircled by the Grimm. The walls were breached a day later. Six hours after the report of multiple breaches, all contact with the city was lost."

Yang examined their surroundings again; at the broken streets they traveled on, the debris that was scattered about, all having come from the buildings that were mangled if not outright pulverized. _Beowolves didn't do this._

She imagined Deathstalkers scuttling along the streets, pincers clacking and smashing into what they could. Boarbatusks rolling and bashing on whatever was in their way while Ursai flipped over vehicles and broke through doors, in search of prey. Up above, Giant Nevermores that crashed through apartments and sent storms of razor-sharp feathers into crowds of frightened people.

And yet the destruction still seemed too tame even when she added them. To her right was a line of outlet malls and something drew her towards them. Within the center of the line of short buildings, one had completely caved in and she ventured towards it.

It had not simply collapsed into a heap of rubble. At the center of the wreckage was a depression that was several feet deep with a diameter that exceeded that of the structure itself.

No, it hadn't collapsed. It had been _crushed_. The depression that Yang was looking at was, in reality, a giant footprint.

"Wasteful." She hadn't noticed Oobleck having come up behind her, the doctor looking over her shoulder to examine the same thing. "Utterly wasteful."

* * *

It wasn't just the Grimm that they had to worry about. With the fighting that occurred during Mountain Glenn's fall, the years of neglect had significantly weakened the supports of the buildings. This was something that Blake experienced when she came across what Yang could only guess was a half-completed skyport. The automatic doors out of power, the faunus forced them apart and was about to take a step inside until there came a shower of dust and dirt from a roof that shook.

Her Semblance got her out of the way when the roof not only collapsed but was followed by the entire skyport tumbling down.

They exerted extra caution after that and Yang wondered just what they were supposed to be looking for. A hideout, obviously, but what did that actually entail? She figured one of the abandoned buildings that were converted for such a use but she was really growing skeptical. How could any of these death traps be sufficient to store an army and their mechs, Dust, and weapons?

Not to mention being able to deal with all these Beowolves. Yang never really thought she could actually get tired of fighting but against the latest pack that they encountered, her motivation was expiring along with her endurance. After the hours that they had been scouring through the city and this being the seventh…eighth pack? At this point, they were a nuisance and one that Yang didn't bother to close with anymore as her last kill died to a volley of her shells.

She wasn't the only one. After dispensing with the rest of the Grimm, she saw Ruby setting Crescent Rose down in order to lean heavily against it. Weiss stuck Myrtenaster in her sash, attempted to stand tall, but ended up hunched while she caught her breath. Blake was fairing little better and Yang had to surrender to her gauntlets that had become weights that caused her arms to hang down. The only one who still had an abundance of energy was Zwei, the corgi wagging his tail energetically as he watched the slain Beowolves disintegrate.

Oobleck was crouched in the middle of the defensive ring that RWBY had formed, poking at some weeds that had managed to grow out from beneath the street. He stood up and conducted a casual survey that ended with a sip from his thermos. "Excellent work, girls! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh well, moving on!"

The reminder of how Oobleck had done little except nudge and inspect whatever minor thing that caught his interest while they did the fighting and urging them onto the next part of their search when they were done to repeat the process strained what little patience Yang had left. "Hey doc, you know, I was actually looking forward to seeing a pro Huntsman in action. Like fighting or _helping_ us fight."

"Ah, but I _am_ in action!" Oobleck returned brightly. "Scouring the ruins of this once great city for any signs of irregularity!"

That wasn't what Yang would consider as action, the frown she made saying as much.

"Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, girls. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination! Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it." He stared directly at Yang. "I do hope you understand that."

"Well, yeah," Yang replied offhandedly, shrugging. "Of course."

Instead of moving on, Oobleck oriented himself to better face Yang and she heard him hum deliberately. "Tell me, Yang, why did you choose this line of work?"

Yang blinked, unprepared for this question that came out of nowhere. "Huh?"

But he didn't repeat. For once, he appeared comfortable with just standing there as if Yang's answer to his question was all that interested him.

Her agitation momentarily forgotten, Yang hesitantly responded with, "Well…to fight monsters and save-"

"No, that is what you do. I want to know why you do it; the honest reason as to why you want to be a Huntress."

"The honest reason?" Yang echoed, mulling over what he meant by that. _Honest_ reason? When she thought about it, there was only one thing that came to mind that was so intimately linked with honesty. "I'm a thrill-seeker. I want to travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And if I help people along the way, then that's even better. It's a win-win, you know?"

"I see." With a short nod, Oobleck turned and walked off.

 _That was weird._ While her friends passed her in order to follow after their teacher, throwing looks that asked what that was about, Yang had no idea what to say.

She stayed where she was, even when Zwei brushed up against her leg when he went by. Though Oobleck hadn't said anything else, she couldn't help but get a sense that her answer hadn't been the one that he had been looking for. Or maybe it was that he had been expecting more but moved on when she couldn't deliver like how, in class, when a student gave an incomplete answer, he would switch to another to give him the rest.

But how could it be incomplete when the question was about her and her answer was nothing but truthful? She knew, even at a young age, that she enjoyed activities that got her heart pounding with adrenaline. She liked the excitement and whenever she thought of being a Huntress, what came to mind was what she just said: experiencing new places, have adventures, and fight. Helping people was the bonus.

Frowning at her use of 'bonus', Yang took in the abandoned city once again, thinking of the thousands who had lived but hadn't been saved. In their place of residence were monsters, the last of which had fully dissolved at this point, leaving Yang alone but the desolation was unchanged. Disturbed, she broke into a jog to catch up.

* * *

"And you, Miss Schnee? A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So, why choose this over a cushy job in Atlas?"

Weiss didn't reply right away because she was busy ducking under ravaging claws and avoiding being pinned down by the snarling beasts that leapt at her. In between their lunges, Myrtenaster struck like a serpent, ending movement and life with stabs that pierced the vitals that even Grimm needed to possess to function. One Beowolf came to a dead stop from such a blow, its red eyes dimming and the arms that had been poised to strike going limp thanks to the length of steel that was embedded in its throat.

Yanking her weapon out, Weiss turned to look up at Oobleck and felt a flicker of irritation when she found him lounging around on a ledge, scribbling something in a notebook. She didn't act on it like Yang, keeping her image as the dutiful student who answered any question voiced by a professor with politeness. It helped that the topic being touched upon was essential to her pride. "It's as you said: I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life."

_The unconscious faunus at her feet, hood drawn back with those bear-like ears on display. Blood trickling down his neck, the skin nicked by Myrtenaster which Weiss drew back with a trembling grip in preparation only to scream and throw the rapier away from her._

"It was my duty," Weiss managed to state evenly despite how the memory unnerved her.

Like Yang, all she got from Oobleck was another slow nod. "Interesting." Sliding off his perch, he landed on the ground and then ambled off, saying nothing else.

And it was Weiss's turn to be hit with a feeling of inadequacy. _Upholding the legacy…?_

It had come out naturally and it was the reason that got her here in the first place. She dove into her training, her studies, all with the opportunity to get into Beacon to 'uphold the legacy'…even when it turned out to be nothing more than an obsession for bloody revenge.

Casting her gaze down, Weiss twisted her wrist around to better admire her rapier. The new one that Ruby had helped her build to replace the original that had been the last scrap of her previous intentions. This Myrtenaster was a symbol of her renewed ambitions to better herself and, in extension, to better her family and company. Not taint it or herself with baseless murder but to hold it high with the honor and valor that she would bring to her name.

That was admirable. Anyone would commend her for that.

So why had Oobleck just brushed it off as 'interesting'?

The landscape of Mountain Glenn was just as empty of answers as it was of life.

* * *

The Beowolf lunged forward, tackling Blake – and then going _through_ her. It didn't have a second to consider what had happened before the real Blake was twisting in the air above it to bring Gambol Shroud around, bisecting the creature.

Her feet barely touched the ground when they sprung up, striking the chin of the next Beowolf and lifting it up with another pulse of her Semblance propelling her towards the exposed belly where she repeated the process, and then again when she jumped towards a third to split it across its back and through its spine.

Though she retained her grip on Gambol Shroud, she soon saw that she had created some breathing space which she readily took. _Until we run into the next batch, anyway._

Switching to investigating, Blake went to a squat, concrete structure. What it had once been she couldn't tell as there were no obvious markings on it, but it was still in relatively one piece. She was still careful as she remembered what happened at the skyport. A pair of quick slashes did away with the door while she stood back.

Sunlight streamed in and a mass of small feathered bodies flew out towards her, shrieking. The faunus flipped back away from the talons that clawed at her face and hair and raised Gambol Shroud, the blade flipped back, to fire several shots from the built-in pistol into the flock of Nevermores, the combination of a steady hand and quick aim putting a bullet in each. Her way clear, Blake sheathed her weapon and saw Oobleck already peering into the doorway.

"And what about you, Blake?" he asked when she approached to take a look. "You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose."

She had expected her turn to come up and she already had her answer prepared. "There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing. Inequality, corruption – someone has to stop it."

He nodded patiently. "Very well. How?"

"I…" Blake broke off and her mouth closed shut when she realized that she hadn't prepared enough for that.

"Hmm…" With nothing to find in the doorway or his pupil, Oobleck left both behind.

The privacy that was established in the wake of his departure didn't do much to help as Blake contemplated what had always been her aim ever since she had been a child. That inequality, that corruption – she knew all too well how real that was and she had fought it…once.

 _What am I doing about it now?_ she asked herself.

If there was one thing – one – that she could say about the White Fang, it was that she had been doing something in it. That was the biggest lure of the group. What they were doing was wrong, the things that they plan to do were horrible, but that prejudice and racism was what they had been acting out against.

The more they accomplished, the greater the terror they spread - it was progress and that was what the hundred or so faunus that she witnessed at the rally saw and wanted to be a part of. Despite her personal experience of what was involved, there was still that yearning deep inside that Roman had drawn out of her with his speech that had led her to her former place in the White Fang and had her staying in it for so long.

Even though she separated from them, her choices and actions since then had been influenced by the White Fang in some way. She had become a Huntress because of the skills that they had given her. She was here, now, because of her knowledge and experience of how they operated and wishing to make up for what she had done.

 _But if a day does arrive when the White Fang is no longer involved and it's only up to me to decide what to do next, what will I do?_ When it came to that, she was completely and utterly lost.

* * *

This was the milestone that she had always dreamed about. Going out beyond the kingdom, doing battle with monstrous beasts, and foiling evil plots in order to save the world.

And yet even Ruby couldn't help but feel slightly bored.

Wandering through yet another street surrounded by more buildings in another deserted section of the city, Ruby sighed when there was no sign of a hideout to be found again. Ahead of her, Zwei was strolling aimlessly, sniffing and exploring to satisfy his curiosity of this new area.

Struck with an idea, Ruby took a quick scan to make sure they were alone before looking to her dog. "Hey, Zwei."

His ears twitched and Zwei performed an about-face to see Ruby with Crescent Rose in hand, the shaft fully extended, and a piece of turkey stabbed at the end.

"Get it!" Ruby coaxed, waving both in front of Zwei. "Come and get it, Zwei!"

Barking, Zwei jumped up, teeth snapping, but Ruby lifted the turkey just out of reach. She giggled and said, "Come on, Zwei. You know what you have to do!"

In response, Zwei stood up on his hind legs, balancing on them while his eyes remained locked onto the turkey. When Ruby made a twirling gesture with her scythe, Zwei obeyed the order to flip backwards. He stood up a second time, hopping and barking for the prize.

Ruby was about to give it to him until she saw Oobleck at her peripheral. She immediately collapsed her scythe, returning it to her back. "Sorry!" Fidgeting under his attention, she asked, "Are we ready to keep going?"

"No, I believe that will be enough for today," he replied. His heavy pack had been unshouldered and was hanging in his grip while he surveyed their surroundings. "It's going to be dark soon."

His lenses landed on a taller but no-less wrecked structure. Without warning, Oobleck tossed his pack over where the rest of her team had gathered nearby, Yang barely reacting to catch it with a surprised grunt. "You three, set up camp in that building. Oh, and please do make sure there are no more of those…creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby."

Ruby followed behind him, taking a moment to stare up at the sky to see it having grown darker. The temperature had become lower as well and Ruby shivered before rubbing her hands to relieve the chill that was slowly accumulating at her vulnerable fingers. This would usually be where she and her friends would go back to Beacon and into the safety of their dorm where they could take hot showers and change into clean clothes to remove themselves of the daily grime and retire to warm, comfy mattresses and blankets to start the next day anew. But for this night, they would be camping out in the middle of these ruins miles away from the nearest center of civilization, sleeping in the same clothes that they fought in all day with.

Ruby wasn't bothered by it. If anything, she was excited, and her lips morphed into a grin, her steps being broken with a skip. This was the kind of experience that had been confined to her dreams and here she was living it out. The dirt and Dust residue that stained her disheveled clothes, the newly-formed callouses at her hands from swinging her scythe around, and even the exhaustion she was feeling was…it felt _good_ ; a different kind of satisfaction that was better than completing another day at school.

Their situation of spending a night in such a dangerous environment was something else she took as a boon. _We'll take watches, sleep under the stars with a campfire, and oh this is so much fun!_

Away from their cities, past the protective walls, and out here in the wilderness, they were in dangerous territory but Ruby didn't let that frighten her. She felt unbound. Free.

She had never experienced a truer feeling of being a Huntress as she did right now.

The day wasn't over yet though and still had chances to bring her to awe. This was made abundantly clear when she and Oobleck rounded a corner and brought a portion of the destroyed wall into full view. Beyond one of the huge gaps, an expanse of forestry stretched from the base of the plateau to what would be the horizon if it wasn't for the collection of mountains that blocked it from view.

What wasn't hidden was the herd of massive forms that rose above the forest. Six of them, in single file, that produced thundering steps with each one felling and crushing trees underfoot. They took on the appearance of elephants with their low-hanging ears, long trunks, and curved pair of tusks.

However, normal elephants don't typically grow to twenty stories, nor do they possess bony spines that created a field of spikes on their backs while other protrusions were formed into plates lower on their black hides and legs.

Ruby stood there within the destroyed wall with her mouth hanging open and eyes wide with wonder. "Wooooah. What is that? It looks awesome!"

"That, my dear," Oobleck calmly informed from his position next to her, "is a Grimm."

The revelation returned Ruby to her awestruck state and she could see that each of these Grimm had their heads covered with the familiar bone masks, Ruby able to see each twist and curve of the red outlines along their surfaces despite the distance. At her feet, Zwei was watching them with a tilted head, ears erect.

She had never seen a Grimm as big as these behemoths. Grabbing Crescent Rose, Ruby pointed it towards them, the stock sliding out with the scope poking up. "Let's kill it."

Oobleck had to be holding back a chuckle. "I'm afraid your sniper rifle will do nothing more than agitate a Grimm of that size."

Ruby didn't lower her weapon. "But what if it attacks us?"

"Fret not, Ruby." Oobleck reached over and gently pushed the muzzle of her weapon down. "Those Goliaths are not concerned with us."

Goliaths. Ruby didn't disagree with the name, deciding that it suited them perfectly.

Goliath: a name that needed no other addition to it. It was the name of a creature brought into existence with a form that was already monstrous and could only grow to become more monstrous.

"Ruby, not every Grimm is mindless," Oobleck spoke. "Or rather, not every Grimm is _still_ mindless. You see, the Grimm you see before you are so powerful, so superior to the Grimm you fought, that they've undoubtedly lived hundreds of years. And in that time, between killing humans and attacking our borders, they've done one important thing: they've learned. They've learned that whenever they attack our borders, they are likely to die. What we lack in strength, we make up for in will, and killing one human will only bring more."

Within the middle of the herd, one of the Goliaths stopped. While the rest continued stomping ahead, it turned its large head until it was looking at the teacher and student that stood there watching. Upon those red eyes landing on her, Ruby felt her skin prickle beneath the sheer amount of menace that set off her danger sense. Size was not the only difference that the Goliath had with the other Grimm. Whereas the Bewolves that lurked within Mountain Glenn had given off the presence of beasts on the hunt that transformed into mindless aggression, this was different.

What Ruby caught the attention of was a titan. A living, breathing monolith of unstoppable size and power that the Beowolves were nothing but vermin to. The malice was of the same magnitude that filled and festered within that gargantuan body.

Nonetheless, there existed an intelligence that had been absent from the Beowolves. An intelligence that was not lost to the madness but was able to overcome and restrain it, keeping the Goliath in its place. It could've stomped over, easily ascended the meager elevation of the plateau, and assaulted them. That's what every other Grimm that Ruby encountered did, but this one didn't.

"Then…" Managing to break away from those red eyes, Ruby turned to Oobleck. "Why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?"

"Waiting."

Down below, the Goliath turned away and rejoined the herd.

Ruby didn't take her eyes off them, not until Oobleck took the Goliath's example and stepped away from the edge of the plateau. She remained a little longer, it eventually dawning on her that the Grimm really weren't going to attack, and then she went to rejoin him, Zwei at her heels. "Doctor Oobleck?"

"Hm?"

"I was wondering…"

"Wondering why I've been interrogating your teammates all day?" he asked, stopping and waiting for Ruby to catch up.

That was what Ruby had been thinking about until it led her to think about something else. "Actually, I was wondering…why did you become a Huntsman?"

Ruby believed that she caught a smile on his face before he motioned around them. "Look around and tell me what you see."

She did as she was told. "Lots of old buildings…uh…empty streets…"

"I see lives that could have been saved," he said as they began traveling down one of those empty streets. "As a Huntsman, it is my job to protect the people and although I am capable of doing it with traditional weaponry, I believe I can make a much larger impact if I do it with my mind. As a teacher I'm able to take knowledge, the most powerful weapon of them all, and place it into the hands of every student that passes through my classroom. I look at this wasteland and I see lives that could have been saved, but I also see an opportunity. An opportunity to study these ruins and learn from this tragedy. And therefore, become stronger."

With the utmost conviction, he declared, "I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be."

 _What a coincidence,_ Ruby thought with a smile. _There's nothing else I would want to be either._

* * *

Yang could detect the tension within the room that they prepared for the night. Mindful of the coming cold and the dark, they had gathered enough wood that would last them the night. After throwing a couple logs in the center, Weiss used a minor Dust spell to ignite them.

True to his word about packing the essentials, the bag that Oobleck left them with contained everything they needed. Bedrolls that they spread around the fire, canned and dried food that would serve as their dinner, and bottles of water and purifiers to keep them hydrated. Happily, they currently had no use for the first aid supplies.

They had done it all with that tense silence which Yang tried to dispel. "I can't believe we didn't find anything."

Blake was crouched near the fire, pale features aglow in the light of the flames. "We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side."

Weiss didn't contribute, the heiress standing off to the side, appearing lost in thought. Yang didn't expect it when she said, "That's not what I meant."

"Huh?" Blake queried.

"Earlier. About upholding the legacy. There's more to it than that."

They had each shared what they told Oobleck, including the short responses he gave them in turn before moving on to the next. When Weiss and Blake recollected it, Yang got the feeling that they were second-guessing their answers just as she was. Or maybe not second-guessing, but wishing that they had been able to supply more to the doctor.

Yang nodded in agreement. "Yeah. No, me too. I mean…" She exhaled slowly through her nose. "I don't know."

"I don't know either," Blake admitted, sounding as lost as they were. "I know what I want to do, but I figured I'd always take things one step at a time."

"Well…it doesn't matter." Yang smiled with what she hoped was encouragement. "We know why we're here. Right?"

It was weaker than she intended it to be because even as she was saying it, Yang realized that she couldn't say with certainty that she knew why they were here as Huntresses. She saw that it was mutual, the three of them standing quietly around the fire expressing doubt.

"Ah, wonderful!" From a corridor, Oobleck sped into the room and inspected their handiwork. "A textbook campfire."

A gasp came behind him and Ruby entered a second later with Zwei. "Fire!" She knelt down, holding her hands out to the flames. "So…warm!" She pressed her heated palms to her face in an attempt to rub it all over.

"Very good. Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?"

Ruby raised her hand. "Yo."

Oobleck dashed off once that was done, possibly to examine the rest of the building before he would settle down to sleep with the rest of them. Ruby only stayed at the fire for a little longer before she stood up and wandered down another corridor, this one missing a wall on the one side that gave anyone who took position there to have a commanding view over the area.

"Hey," Yang called when Ruby was passing her, getting her to stop. "Did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? I mean…what did you tell him?"

"No, he didn't," Ruby replied. "Weird." She wasn't troubled by it at all though. "Oh well, goodnight guys!"

 _He didn't ask her?_ Yang thought, surprised, as her sister took a seat in the hall, resting Crescent Rose across her lap. Zwei had followed her and placed his front paws on top of her knee, his attempt to garner attention being rewarded with an affectionate rub on his back.

Eating and settling for bed was done in that same uncomfortable silence. Yang hardly cared about the dry taste of a biscuit that she consumed, her mind elsewhere. Weiss and Blake each took a sleeping bag that they prepared, setting their swords down within easy reach. At intermittent points, they would become motionless, staring sightlessly at whatever was ahead of them with Yang able to guess what they were thinking about. Eventually they all lied down on top of the bags, resting their heads on flat pillows.

Sleep wasn't coming to her. In spite of all that they went through today with Yang having wanted to do nothing more than sleep in between the packs of Grimm and hours of searching, she laid awake.

_Why do I want to be a Huntress?_

Whenever she closed her eyes, the question came to the forefront to foil her attempts at sleep. Each time she asked herself it, she thought back to when Oobleck had done so and tried to think of what she should've said instead or what she could've added.

It had seemed to be the natural thing to do. Her father was a Huntsman, her mothers – Summer and her real mother – had both been Huntresses, and her uncle was a Huntsman. Following in her family's footsteps was the logical thing to do.

It was the _convenient_ thing to do, that word making a reappearance and it was as improper to her as it was then.

But when she thought about it, how could she describe it as anything other than that? She never entertained a more worthy cause or motivation to be a Huntress. The last time she acted on something that she believed to be of a greater cause – to bring her family back together -, it had nearly ended in disaster. Since then, she never tried to link any kind of noble purpose to her decisions and actions – just living in the moment and pursuing whatever was fun and exciting.

Was she cheapening it, then? Huntressing, that is.

She opened her eyes and tilted her head to glance over. Weiss was resting on her back, hands folded over her stomach. As for Blake, she was on her side, her sleeping face in view.

Or was she sleeping? Yang couldn't be sure about Weiss but for the faunus… "Blake, are you awake?"

Her eyes remained closed but there was no hesitation when she replied, "Yeah."

"Why do you think he asked about us about being a Huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?"

"Maybe he was just curious."

Yang rolled onto her side to better bring Blake into view. "You think?"

Two glittering ambers stared doubtfully at her. "No."

Yang fell back down, sighing. So Blake couldn't sleep either. She looked over to Weiss again. "Weiss, are you awake?"

"Of course I'm awake!" was the irritated response that had Yang grimacing. "You two are talking! And I think he…when I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But…it's not what you think. I'm not stupid; I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a…moral gray area."

"That's putting it lightly," Blake commented.

Weiss sat up to send an agitated look across to Blake. "Which is why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it."

The faunus couldn't come up with a counter to that, Yang quietly relieved that there wouldn't be a renewed clash between the white and black teammates. The sullen expression that Blake had on her face was little better though, her girlfriend's gaze having dropped to stare forlornly at the floor.

"All my life, I fought for what I thought was right," she said. "I had a partner named Adam." For Weiss's benefit, she explained, "More of a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be…not perfect for everyone. I joined the academy because I knew Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good, but I never really thought past that.

When I leave the academy, what will I…how can I undo so many years of hate?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Yang replied. "You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake."

"But I am! I do it all the time! When you learned I was a faunus, I didn't know what to do so I ran. When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran. Even…" Her arms came up, hugging herself when she shook. "Even my Semblance. I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself. An empty copy that takes the hit while I run away."

Yang turned over, wishing she could embrace Blake but settled with extending a hand and touching what she could, that being her partner's leg. "At least you two have something that drives you," she said when she got Blake's attention, smiling thinly. "I've just kind of always gone with the flow, you know? And that's fine, I mean that's who I am, but how long can I really do that for? I want to be a Huntress…not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring, and that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that."

 _Convenient,_ it came again. Her hand sliding away from Blake, Yang spotted Ruby out in the hall, still at her perch. She had deployed Crescent Rose some time ago, had probably been using the scope of her rifle to keep watch, and though it was across her body, it didn't take long for Yang to notice that it was lying against Ruby rather than being held by her. Her head was lowered, her bangs almost making it impossible to see how her eyes were closed.

Yang's smile gained a bit more energy. "I'm not like Ruby; she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said: ever since she was a kid she dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today."

Nothing had been convenient for Ruby, the sight of her sister having valiantly tried to keep awake but coming up short triggering those old memories of her early years at Signal when she hadn't been able to perform like the other students. No matter how many days that went by with scant results, however many hours she would stay at the training rooms swinging a weapon only to realize it was incompatible, or the number of carefully-worded suggestions of how Huntressing may not have been for her, she had kept at it. Not for the adventure or the excitement, but because it was what she wanted to do because of all the good she could do. A job that she pursued like there was no other option – and there probably wasn't. Not to Ruby.

Yang had to admit, she was kind of jealous of her baby sister.

"Well, she's still just a kid," Weiss said.

"She's only two years younger," Blake argued. "We're all kids."

"Well, not anymore." Chuckling, Yang indicated their dwelling. "I mean, look where we are. In the middle of a war zone armed to the teeth."

Blake smiled. "It's the life we chose."

Weiss nodded. "It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads, but at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people. Whatever we want, will have to come second."

She took the words right out of Yang's mouth. All day they had been traveling through Mountain Glenn, all of them worried about what they wanted, but not seeing what was right in front of them. So concerned by their own desired, they couldn't see how civilization had attempted to rise but ended up falling, leading to the deaths of thousands. That was what they were supposed to protect. That was what they were supposed to do.

The blonde picked herself up from the floor. "I think I'll take over watch now."

Weiss pulled out her scroll. "There's still about an hour left."

"Eh, what's another hour?" Yang stretched as she moved. "Thanks for volunteering to be the nice girl to take over after me by the way."

"What!? But I didn't-!"

Ignoring the rest of the fencer's protests, Yang went to Ruby, sparing a moment to kneel down and scratch Zwei's head, the corgi having apparently remained awake and taken over Ruby's watching duties when she nodded off.

Her leader was slow to wake up when she shook her gently by the shoulder. Lids slowly raising, all Yang saw were bleary silver eyes that stared up at her while Ruby mumbled, "Yang?"

"Hey, sis. Time's up. My turn to take watch."

"Watch…?" It took another second but then Ruby suddenly jolted, coming to full wakefulness and scrambling to pick up Crescent Rose when her scythe nearly fell over with the action. "I fell asleep! I'm sorry, don't tell Oobleck! I didn't mean-!"

"Woah, woah, woah," Yang shushed, patting her on that same shoulder. "No worries. You did your best, Ruby, just like always. But now it's my turn."

* * *

The shame of having fallen asleep on her first time on watch on her first mission hung over Ruby when Yang shooed her away from her lookout position. It didn't last long when she laid down on the sleeping bag that was left empty, Yang's warmth lingering, and the exhaustion came clawing back up to claim her. When Zwei curled up next to her, his fluffy body just as warm and soft as the pillow under her head, Ruby let her consciousness drift and vanish.

It was Zwei who ended up waking her again, Ruby opening her eyes when she felt movement against her to see him on his feet and staring at something she couldn't see and was too tired to care about. "Zwei, it's late. Go back to bed."

When she yawned with every intention of returning to dreamland, Zwei took off.

"Zwei!" Ruby hissed quietly, mindful of her sleeping teammates. "Zwei!"

He didn't come back, disappearing down the corridor that would lead to the stairs. Ruby took a quick look around, seeing Weiss and Blake still asleep. Yang was still on watch, unaware of what was going on and with the fire having been reduced to glowing embers, it made Ruby think that she hadn't been sleeping long.

Groaning, Ruby forced herself to get out of bed, making sure to grab Crescent Rose before leaving to locate Zwei. She didn't bother telling Yang, not wanting to worry her with something that could just be Zwei needing to do…doggy things.

They had set up on the second floor of their chosen building and with the flight of stairs leading to the third floor being in a mixed state of unfinished/demolished, there was only the ground floor that Zwei could've gone to. After descending down and seeing no sign of Zwei, Ruby stuck her head out the door, praying that he hadn't gone far. "Zwei? Zwei, where are you?"

She was looking across the street where the building there hadn't gone any farther in construction after having its support beams put in place and she did a double-take at one in particular. Zwei was standing at the base with leg up.

"Zwei, this is a wasteland," Ruby said but couldn't help but smile a little when she walked out to retrieve him. "You literally could've done that anywhere!"

Zwei padded up to her when he was finished with his business, issuing an apologetic bark. She bent down to pick him up.

"What was that?"

Hers arms immediately went tight around Zwei and Ruby fell back within the shadow of the building, nerves suddenly on edge.

"What was what?"

Zwei went still in her grip, picking up on her anxiety that doubled when she heard a second voice. Quietly, Ruby edged towards the corner of the building and took a peek to see where the voices were coming from.

"I thought I heard a Beowolf or something."

The white tunics. The hoods and masks. _White Fang soldiers!_

They were standing meters away, the pair of them cradling rifles and scanning the area. Ruby ducked back when one swept a little too close to where she was hiding, the leader remembering that if they were White Fang, then they were faunus. They would be able to see her easily, even in the dark, if they looked over. With her back pressed against the wall, Ruby strained to hear them while making sure to not make a sound of her own.

"Let's just finish our patrol and get back to base," she heard one grunt out. "This place gives me the creeps."

She counted to five and then leaned back out to see them walking away from her.

Patrol. Base. Ruby put two and two together and recognized the opportunity that she had just been given.

 _I should…_ Ruby glanced up to where her team was resting, and then to the White Fang members who were walking further away. _No, no time!_ If she ran back and got her team, she might lose them.

She made a decision. Setting Zwei down and signaling him to be quiet, Ruby began tailing them. If they did lead her to their base, she could call her teammates and direct them right towards it.

She brought Crescent Rose out but didn't activate her scythe, keeping it on hand in case she needed to take them down quickly if they spotted her and tried to alert the rest of their comrades, wherever they were. She made use of her Semblance instead, waiting until the pair were far enough away and a quick burst of speed brought her to the pillar of another building or a debris pile that would shield her from their sight while she watched them.

Not once did either of them take a glance over their shoulders to see if they were being followed. They were as relaxed as they could be in a place like this, confident that nothing but the Grimm were around and Ruby hoped that that would make them want to hurry on back to the safety of their base.

 _They must not know we're here, even with all the fighting we did,_ she thought with some amazement. They had spent most of the day fighting Beowolves, making all kinds of ruckus. _Their hideout must still be pretty far off if they weren't able to hear any of it._

It turned out to be pretty close. They rounded a corner and Ruby waited before speeding over to that same corner, quietly tiptoeing out-

There was no cover. Ruby saw the White Fang soldiers heading to what appeared to be the entrance of a subway tunnel that was closed off with a pair of solid gates but the area was too exposed for her to follow. She hopped back behind the building.

Zwei's head poked around the corner a moment later, Ruby holding him up. _It wouldn't be suspicious if they saw a dog, right? Right._

"Did they go in yet?" she whispered. "One bark means yes."

During the silence that ensued while anxiously waiting for an answer, Ruby thought she could hear a gate swinging open and then closing. Zwei barked once.

Ruby had to quell her excitement to whispered shouts. "This is it! This is it!" She put Zwei down and fetched her scroll, dialing her team, only to be interrupted by a window that appeared.

_[LOW SIGNAL]_

"Aw, man!" Cursing at the notification, she repocketed it and retrieved her scythe. "Come on, we got to get the others."

She and Zwei retraced their steps together, crossing over a street. The delay aside, Ruby was elated. She found the hideout! Her knack for encountering bad guys in the middle of the night was actually paying off for once!

The unexpected rumble beneath her feet interrupted her celebrations. She looked down, saw the fissures that had ruptured within the middle of the street, and before she could react, a hole opened up right under her.

Ruby fell back, Crescent Rose flying from her grip, and it was instinct that saved her when she managed to grab onto the edge of the hole. Startled yelping notified her of Zwei tumbling forward, falling off the edge and over her head, and Ruby barely managed to shoot one hand out and grab him by the scruff of his neck.

They both dangled over darkness, Ruby unable to see anything below them. She swung her arm that held Zwei, gathering enough momentum for the heave that flung him back up to the street, away from the chasm. With him safe, Ruby gripped the edge with both hands and started to pull herself up.

The concrete crumbled beneath her grip and, with a short scream, she fell.

For a brief second, she saw her dog's silhouette standing over the edge of the hole, heard his calls, but both vanished from sight and hearing as gravity pulled her down into the abyss. Ruby concentrated and a brief flash of red encased her form, her Aura activating, and she drew it around her to help cushion her for the inevitable landing.

She did it just in time, said landing occurring soon after she activated her Aura, air rushing right out of her lungs while the back of her head struck the ground, knocking her into a daze. She laid there for some needed recovery, sucking in deep breaths while she tried to center her vision, her fingers gingerly touching at the throbbing located at the back of her skull.

She allowed herself to remain there for a short while before she forced herself to stand, stumbling a little when the world swayed in front of her. She closed her eyes and shook her head, palm rubbing to soothe the pain. When she opened them again, it was to see everything having settled.

 _And just what is this?_ she wondered when she finally saw her surroundings.

She expected to find herself having fallen into an underground tunnel or a cave. What she did not expect to find was an underground city.

What moonlight that managed to get through the break in the surface granted enough illumination for her to see that that was exactly where she was. She had fallen onto the roof of one large multi-level structure and from this vantage point she could see what she could best describe as a subterranean version of Mountain Glenn, housed within this enormous cavern.

A door was flung open behind her, light streaming in. "Freeze!"

Ruby spun around, and held up a hand to block the bright light that stung her eyes. Squinting past it, she saw two figures standing in front of them. A bit more squinting and she could see the rifles of two White Fang soldiers being pointed at her. She backed away but only accomplished in taking a couple steps before she stopped, nearly falling off the roof.

"You're a long way from home, little girl," one of them said threateningly, he and his partner closing in on her.

Were they the same ones that she had been following? No, when Ruby took another look with her eyes having adjusted, it was to see that they were different. One of them was wearing glasses over his mask, something which she might've found funny if it wasn't for the gun he had on her.

 _No choice, gotta fight._ Ruby reached behind her for Crescent Rose and gasped in shock when her baby wasn't there for her to grab. _That's right, I dropped it before I fell!_

There came a painful grip on her arm, one of the faunus using the distraction to grab her.

"Hey, hands off!" she yelled, wrenching her arm out.

It was nothing to worry about; she had taken out people without her scythe before, just like those guys that Torchwick had been with. Surely she can handle these two! Mustering up her strength, she made a fist with the hand she just freed and, doing her best to imitate Yang, Ruby threw a punch.

Her knuckles hit a very solid abdomen, her target barely flinching.

 _…Oh these guys are_ much _stronger._

Ruby desperately punched again, aiming for the unprotected chin, but the faunus caught it and she winced at how her fist was painfully squeezed within the hand that easily enfolded it. It left her vulnerable to the return punch that connected with her cheek, stars exploding in front of her eyes, and when they cleared it was for Ruby to see that she had dropped to the ground, her vision swimming anew.

"The boss is going to want to see this one."

Ruby weakly lifted her chin, saw the sole of a boot coming down right towards her face, and then nothing.

* * *

_Ruby!_

Weiss awoke with a start, gasping with eyes wide and searching, feeling like that she was under attack. She instinctively reached for Myrtenaster, fingers clutching the hilt, but she didn't raise it.

Recognizing where she was lessened the pounding of her heart but she remained on alert, her grip tight on her rapier. Her sense of danger that had previously been screaming at her died down but didn't go away fully, reduced to a sharp, biting sensation that had her twitching in expectance for an attack that wasn't coming.

Nor would it. Everything around her was calm, the only noise that she heard being the crackling of charred logs of a dying fire. Blake was near her feet and she could see her resting peacefully, which meant that Yang was still on watch and the brawler wasn't sounding any kind of alert.

Still she did not relinquish her weapon, actually dragging it a bit closer, experiencing a need to keep herself armed.

 _A bad dream?_ Weiss couldn't recollect such a thing. When she tried, all that came to her was…darkness. Not that of slumber. It was just…dark, with a sense like she was falling from somewhere high up. Then that unexpected rush of alarm and perceiving a threat that was directed at her

 _No…no, not at me._ It hadn't been an attack against her that Weiss had tried to defend against. It hadn't been her name that she had been calling out.

"Hey, Weiss, it's your-" The heiress saw Yang arrive, the blonde's arms high in a stretch before she froze, staring at something on the other side of Weiss. "Ruby?"

 _Ruby._ Her partner's name reignited that sense of dread and Weiss looked to where Ruby should be. All she saw was an empty bed.

"Where's Ruby?" Yang asked.

There came a knocking somewhere down below, something rushing up the stairs. It woke up Blake, the faunus sitting up, and Oobleck stuck his head down through a hole from the floor above, the doctor having situated himself there. "What?"

Nails scratched along stone as Zwei ran in, barking as soon as he saw them and coming up to Yang. He pawed at her legs, his barks turning into whines.

Yang knelt down to the panicking dog. "Zwei?"

Blake stood, Gambol Shroud at its spot on her back. "What's going on?"

Oobleck quietly viewed Yang trying to placate the whining Zwei and then switched to the empty sleeping bag. His expression became grim. "Grab your weapons. Your leader may be in trouble."

Grabbing their weapons was all that they did. They left their makeshift beds unrolled and what remained of the campfire burning, Oobleck only taking what supplies remained in his pack when he grabbed it on their way out. As soon as they were outside, Yang pointed in a random direction.

"Zwei, find Ruby!" she ordered. "Bring us to Ruby!"

He was already sprinting down a street, all of them following his lead.

_Ruby's in trouble._

The thought reverberated within Weiss. There was no maybe or might. Somehow, Weiss knew that Ruby was in trouble, it having been her name that she had been calling out in fear.

_Dammit, first the CCT and now this. Can't she ever just stay out of trouble for at least one night? Or at least make sure she has proper backup before getting into trouble?_

She was angry at Ruby but that was what she'd rather be right now when all they were doing was following Zwei. She didn't want to think about what kind of trouble that she could've ended up in – of the only kind of trouble that that dunce could've possibly found in this destroyed city. The kind that only Zwei returned from, whimpering, and not her.

"Ruby's scythe!"

It was Yang who identified the weapon of red and black that Zwei stopped at. It lay there, stock and scope extended, but the blade remained folded. It lay there alone, abandoned, when, once, its wielder had claimed that she would never part with it, even in de-

No, Weiss was not going to let herself even _think_ of that word, no matter how distressing it was to see Crescent Rose on this deserted street and not at Ruby's side.

The dread that Blake breathed out did _not_ help. "Oh, no."

While Yang picked up Ruby's scythe, Blake hovering at her shoulder, Weiss went past them, her need to find clues to locating Ruby leading her to the huge hole in the street. "Do you think she fell?"

Oobleck was at her side in an instant. "Fell?"

"Down there." Weiss craned her neck, trying to make out anything down below but only getting darkness.

_Darkness. A sense of falling. An attack._

"Oh my." Oobleck withdrew from the hole. "Of course. Of course, of course, of course!"

"What is it?" Yang asked.

He didn't seem to have heard her, the man pacing around them. "How could I be so stupid!?"

"Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?"

"Mountain Glenn!" he shouted into her face. "Yes!" He gripped his chin, deep in concentration. "An expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by the Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people!"

He was whizzing between the three of them, his movements and words delivered with haste. "Working people, commuting to the city – the main city! Developed a subway system to the inner city! Grimm attacks increase! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuated into metro tunnels, and what do they find!?"

He revealed it directly to Zwei, finger wagging in front of the dog. "The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and _deep caves_!"

Zwei licked his finger.

"Doc, what are you saying?"

Oobleck grasped Yang by the shoulders. "My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an _underground crime network_!"

"They've been working in caves?" Blake questioned dubiously.

Oobleck shook his hands and head in negative. "No, no, Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion! It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense and unique transportation! The city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start!"

He drew back to the chasm, peering into its depths. "As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival. They took up shelter beneath the city, in the massive caves they cleared out for the subway, and they had cut themselves off from the surface."

"An underground village?" Yang asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. A safe haven. Until…an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern…filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb."

Weiss's imagination was prompted by Oobleck's grave tone to conceive the thousands of terrified voices that screamed and echoed deep within the void, overpowered and then silenced by the roars of the Grimm. A mausoleum that had become the home of the slaughtered, resting and waiting for when another would fall amongst them.

_Ruby's down there?_

"If Ruby is down there…" Oobleck revealed his thermos. A shake encouraged a conversion, a long, thin handle sliding out from the bottom while the body elongated, a nozzle appearing at the top. Taking the handle, he held his torch-like weapon at the ready, a flame lighting at the tip of the nozzle. "We must find her."

* * *

She was being dragged.

The first thing Ruby saw when she regained consciousness was her feet sliding along the ground, her arms being held by the two faunus who had clearly captured her. There was a bunch of noise everywhere, getting her to try and find the sources.

"Take it over there!" a faunus ordered, directing the pilot of a Paladin to grab and deliver a container to where he wanted it.

"Hey, what are you trying to do?"

Her captors had been dragging her alongside a motionless train with the angry shout guiding her to a car that was open. Another pair of White Fang members were inside, fussing over a round hunk of machinery. It was cylindrical in shape, capsules and tubing connected to it.

"What are you trying to do, blow us to the moon?" the one shouted again.

"Sorry, sir!"

For some reason Ruby's interest became focused on the device and the capsules attached to it. They were filled with grounded Dust – Burn and Freeze – with the tubing connecting them to the device itself.

 _Burn and Freeze Dust…mixing them?_ She was reminded of one of Weiss's Dust lectures; of how mixing Dust of such opposing elements like those two without proper equipment could be bad. As bad as…getting blown to the moon, really.

She couldn't wonder about it anymore as her captors came to a halt in front of another car. The one with the glasses over his mask called, "Hey, boss! Found something you might want to see!"

Someone answered from inside. "Is it good or bad, Perry, because let me tell ya, I have haaad a day."

That frighteningly familiar voice had Ruby looking over just as Perry awkwardly informed, "Uh, it's a little girl?"

Silence, and then Roman Torchwick stepped out of the car. Upon seeing Ruby, air hissed in between his teeth and cigar. "That would be bad…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am hoping to get No Brakes done and uploaded before September 1st but I make no promises. Why September 1st? Phantom Pain, of course! I do intend to take a week off to enjoy one of the games that I've been anticipating the most to play alongside Halo 5. I intend to take a week off to enjoy myself with a much-needed break but I will be mulling over how I want to write my future chapters, particularly Breach where, like Dance Dance Infiltration, things will turn out very differently.


	11. No Brakes

She knew she would find him out here, practically expecting the silhouette to be there, standing rigidly at the edge of the landing pad with hands clasped in front of him. It was the place for the best view: the water lane, flanked by the hills, that led right to the illuminated city that combated the darkness of the night as its people did with the Grimm. The night sky was relatively clear, the bright stars obstructed by only a few small clouds and the three Atlesian warships that hovered over the sparkling waters.

Glynda strode onto the pad, coming up behind him. "Trouble sleeping?"

James broke out of his unyielding stance in order to address her. In spite of the low light, she could see his short smile while his gloved hand touched his left arm. "Arm was acting up."

Glynda lightly scoffed when he turned away. "Of course. So logically you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely, and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance." She had drawn closer while speaking, stopping only when she had taken her place next to him.

There was no hostility, not like how it's been during their previous interactions. When it came to planning and how to act, they could be angry at each other.

But out here? She wasn't angry and had no desire to fight. Not here or on the dance floor when he had asked for her hand. They at least knew when to put that aside – or at least knew enough that there would be plenty more opportunities to fight later whether against their enemies or each other.

She admired the view of Vale before her gaze slid back to him, finding that smile still there, trying to hide his troubles, but to no avail. "What's wrong?"

He didn't bother hiding it. "I've trusted him for years. We both have. I just…" He breathed out haltingly. "I can't help but feel like he's keeping us in the dark."

"Don't be ridiculous," she admonished. "You know very well that we are not the ones in the dark."

"That makes it worse!" he replied, embittered. "I refuse to believe that a man I've trusted for so long would act so…passively."

"You're a good person, James." Glynda laid a hand on his arm – the left one – and making sure to put enough pressure that he would feel it. "You've always done what you think is best for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable. But it's high time you stop talking about trust, and started showing it."

Her gaze met and held his own, those sharp blues subdued against the respect that she wanted him to see that she had for him. After a moment, he shifted back to the sight of the city with Glynda doing the same. "Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack." Her hand fell away. "And I think that's something that's worth remembering."

He said nothing, but there was a notable slump in his shoulders. There was no point in maintaining the front that he constantly presented to the world. Not with her.

He had sacrificed much – they all had. His prosthetics. His implants. He had worked and suffered in his quest to not only preserve this peace but to be prepared for when it would next be threatened. All his efforts and his haste to put it all to use, she knew, was with the best of intentions. It wasn't just for himself as she knew that he only acted with the welfare of civilization in mind.

He wanted to prove that he was worthy to be entrusted with this burden, and to Ozpin most of all. It _was_ admirable, but Glynda was nonetheless worried, well aware of the dangers that this could lead to. To have sacrificed and to be willing to sacrifice more for the sake of others had always been a trait treated with reverence, but there were limits, even for this. There was such a thing as sacrificing too much and to have done so before could make someone more easily receptive to giving up everything and more – including all that they had originally meant to protect.

She had witnessed such a thing before. Rather, she had witnessed the cost and was always reminded of it every day whenever she walked into Ozpin's office. She would never wish that on anyone, especially not James. To have struggled so much to earn that trust, only to betray it all for the sake of what you thought to be for the greater good, was something that she did not wish to see again.

* * *

They dropped into the chasm together with Weiss taking the lead. A glyph formed in the middle of her descent, Weiss landing and then hopping down to another that she conjured soon after. Behind her was Oobleck, his weapon in hand and lighting the way for not only Weiss but for those following them – Yang carrying Zwei in her arms and Blake at the rear, Crescent Rose on her back.

Underground village was really doing what they were dropping towards to an injustice. Weiss was able to make out the outlines that jutted out from the darkness and the next few meters she went down to her next glyph added enough detail for her to identify them as towers and other buildings that were spread all throughout this cave.

 _This had been directly under our feet the whole time?_ Weiss couldn't help but be amazed. A hollowed out chamber within this plateau that was big enough to contain an entire city.

A staggering accomplishment but, as was the trend of their civilization, this ingenuity was made in the wake of desperation – the citizens of Mountain Glenn driven beneath the earth and into the dark in order to avoid annihilation. Unfortunately, this attempt had fallen short of the objective as this city was just as devastated as its aboveground version.

That put an end to her admiration, as did her own objective for coming down here.

She was aiming straight down, trying to land where Ruby had most likely fallen, and her best guess was the one building that was located right against the side of the chamber, its nature Weiss didn't even bother to guess at. After one last glyph, she landed on the roof and instantly began searching for clues. When Oobleck joined her, the flame of his torch at full blaze, the entire roof was lit up and she saw signs of rubble strewn about that she hoped was from the street that they left behind.

But there was no Ruby.

"Anything?" Yang asked once she arrived. She set down Zwei and he immediately started sniffing around.

"Ruby doesn't appear to be here." Oobleck held his torch over to the rubble that Weiss had been examining. "But, in all likelihood, this was where she had fallen."

"She didn't wait for us?"

"Waiting would've been the appropriate course of action." Oobleck slowly walked around, the light of his weapon lowering towards the ground. "She wouldn't have the proper means to return to the surface. She would wait, attempt to contact us, but any kind of signal from her scroll would be blocked due to the underground interference. She may've felt inclined to explore but without her weapon, such a thing would be dangerous and this position would've been more than sufficient to keep her safe until we arrived. The only reasons that I can think of as to why she would relocate is if there was an immediate threat or…oh, dear."

They all spun to see that their teacher had knelt down, his fingers tracing something within the thick layer of dirt. "Three sets of footprints, one of which is most likely that of your leader. The others, not Ruby." He motioned towards the door of a roof access at the back. "They came to the roof through there, approaching cautiously with Ruby backing away."

His hand trailed towards the edge of the roof. "She stopped here. There was a struggle."

Weiss drew closer and could see the lines that created two trails through the dirt, flanked by the prints of heavy boots.

"Ruby collapsed and was dragged away by what were clearly her assailants," Oobleck finished.

Weiss's breath ceased, her heart sinking deeper as she followed the tracks to the outskirts of the provided illumination, towards the roof access.

"White Fang?" Blake guessed.

"Nothing certain, but they are at the top of our list of very limited suspects."

_The White Fang has Ruby._

Zwei was sniffing at the tracks and directed a yip towards the roof access.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Yang ran up to the door, hands clenched into fists and shoulders raised. The way that the brawler was approaching gave off the intention of how she was about to rip the door off its hinges if not for a sudden call.

"Wait!" Blake had her scroll out, bringing up something on the screen. "I don't think Ruby's in the building. I'm trying to track her scroll but it says she's out of range. Even with the interference here, it should be able to find her if she was this close, right?"

"I can't be sure of the exact range," Oobleck replied. "Without transceiver towers to boost signals and given our current environment, range would be very limited. But if she was here?" His foot tapped against the roof, Oobleck thinking hard. "I would assume that this distance would suffice."

Weiss looked out into the distance. "Which means they dragged her deeper into the ruins." Without another word, she stepped off the edge and fell.

"Weiss, wait!"

The heiress didn't, falling a third of the way to the streets below before she summoned a glyph, repeating her method of using them to make the journey down safer. Using her Semblance in this way had become so natural that Weiss only had to use the barest of concentration to cast them and then fall the short distance down to them. It left her vulnerable to the fear that was quickly taking over.

_The White Fang has Ruby._

Dozens of names – the ones she could remember – began passing through her mind. Employees, workers, supervisors, board members. Each and every name was that of a human within the SDC that had either been assassinated or kidnapped by the White Fang.

The hushed whispers made by the servants of her household, the disturbing words exchanged between business associates invited to dinner. Each and every one describing how they had died.

Except when Weiss thought of them now, it was with only one name that became paramount.

 _They'll torture her._ It was when she was dropping down the final third that she thought it. _Interrogate her. Force everything that she knows out of her. Then they'll kill Ruby._

A human captured by the White Fang may as well be a death sentence. For the chance to extract information to use against the SDC, they'd be kept alive in exchange for hours or days of continuous torture. Sometimes it wasn't for the sake of information as it was to create an example. The mangled lump of meat, maimed and mutilated, that had once been an exalted member of the SDC but transformed into fuel to create the most horrific of nightmares to demoralize the Fang's adversaries. Let them know of the eventual fate of any who wished to challenge them.

Weiss touched down at the street in front of the entrance to the building, desperately searching for any sign of where Ruby and her captors could've gone.

Another human, they would see. Another enemy, they would label.

How much of an example would a Huntress make, they would ask themselves.

"Weiss, wait up!" Yang called, she and Blake joining her, both of them having used Gambol Shroud's ribbon to quietly lower to the street, Zwei once again tucked under the blonde's arm.

"We need to be careful," Blake warned, tugging her sword free from where it was stabbed into the side of the building and resheathing it. "Who knows how many White Fang or Grimm are around here."

Weiss bit back a retort but only just, her previous efforts of trying to look past the faunus's previous loyalties threatening to become undone what with her former compatriots involved.

"We will locate and save your partner with utmost haste!" Oobleck declared, Weiss unsure if he had actually used his speed to travel down the flights of stairs in order to come down to meet them.

_She's not just my partner. She's my best friend and I promised that I would be the best teammate she ever had. I promised._

Her first promise to her first friend in forever and she was on the verge of breaking itagain.

Once he was set down, Zwei immediately went to work, moving around the feet of the group while he sniffed at the street, trying to pick up Ruby's scent. Weiss impatiently fidgeted where she stood, fingers loosening and retightening around Myrtenaster, quietly wishing he'd hurry up.

She wasn't the only one. Nearby, Yang was beating herself up. "This is my fault."

Blake was there to support her. "No, it isn't."

"Of course it is! I was the one on watch. I should've spotted her when she left or noticed something wrong sooner."

Blake touched her partner's hand, currently in a shaking fist. "I'm sure she would've told you something if she had been expecting trouble. This isn't like Ruby. She probably took a step out with every intention of coming back in but saw something suspicious like at the CCT."

"You will find that missions can rarely go as planned no matter the precautions you take," Oobleck interrupted. "Your training isn't just about carrying out the mission effectively but learning to adapt and act against any deviations that may occur. Enemies and the very environment can present additional challenges that you must overcome."

Weiss wasn't in such a forgiving mood so it was probably fortunate that Zwei took that moment to bark and take off running.

"Zwei has her scent!" Blake reported.

The heiress was already sprinting before the faunus even spoke, fixated on Zwei's tiny form as he led them deeper into the city.

"So what should we be expecting from this place?" came Yang's question.

"Unknown," Oobleck replied. "This isn't a city in the typical fashion; more like settlements in individual chambers that are linked by the tunnel system with each chamber serving a different function like a district. A 'center' would be hard to pin down. Residents who spend enough time underground would've developed their own sense of direction to navigate them so a 'center' like we would expect by looking at a map could potentially be completely different from their view. I suspect that this would be perfect for the White Fang as their faunus senses and, for some, their experience in the mines would've made them suited to this particular environment."

Weiss tuned them out, the lecture meaningless to her. The only thing she concentrated on was Ruby as she mentally urged Zwei on and each stop he took to reacquire her scent was met with dismay by what the fencer saw as a delay.

_I can't be late. Not again. I won't allow it._

She kept flashing back to that moment when she had last been too late. When she had arrived to take Ruby in her arms from Penny, her leader delirious with pain, and Weiss not knowing and too distracted to realize that, beneath her cloak that covered her, there was a hole in her chest that was pumping out blood. Every worthless question that Weiss asked to satisfy her own needs was more blood and more time that Ruby didn't have that passed away, the heiress experiencing true horror as soon as she touched the warm, wet fluid that coated her hand in red.

_Ruby…_

More memories came to her – the ones that she had been able to attain because of Ruby's survival. Going to the clothing store, Ruby smiling in that red dress of hers.

Almost as red as the puddle that had been forming beneath her.

_Ruby._

The warm, comforting grip at her shoulder while she had lain on her bunk, her shame she tried to hide with her back to Ruby. That same grip that had been in her hand when the two danced together.

The cold fingers that had weakly grasped her own, what little strength they had left fading until they went entirely limp.

_Ruby!_

Ruby's sleeping face tucked near her own, her breath caressing Weiss's cheek.

The deathly still features that Weiss hugged against her as she screamed within that red-black hair, begging Ruby to come back to her.

_**Ruby!** _

And then Weiss knew she had to go left.

The direction came suddenly when she and Zwei came upon the next intersection. Two of the four paths – the one to the left and the one going straight ahead – led to two different tunnels that would lead to two different chambers.

But it was the left one that would lead her to Ruby.

Zwei was still sniffing to be sure when Weiss made the turn and she heard Blake as soon as she did. "Weiss!"

"This way!" she called back.

"Are you sure?"

This time it was Zwei who was running after Weiss, yipping at her heels.

"Good enough for me!" Yang shouted.

At the mouth of the tunnel, Weiss could see a makeshift barricade that had been established to block off entrance. Soon, a figure came into view – a guard that had to have been stationed to watch over the entrance. It didn't take long for him to spot Weiss, his head turning so that she could see his fanged mask beneath the hood of his tunic.

"Who's there?" he called out. He was armed too, already leveling a rifle in Weiss's direction.

The fencer only sped up, Myrtenaster extended at her side.

Another guard joined the first and once they understood what was going on, they both fired their weapons to unleash a hail of gunfire, the clattering reports echoing loudly within the hollow caves.

Weiss lifted her hand and a glyph formed in front of her, the bullets hitting and then ricocheting off it. Even when the guards kept firing until their weapons were empty, not once did the glyph falter until Weiss dispelled it. When she did, it was for the guards to see her white form streaking forward with a roar, the blade of her rapier glowing a vicious red with the tip aimed right at them.

* * *

Roman must've done something good in a previous life once. He couldn't possibly imagine what that was so rather than speculate, he decided to just keep beating what has become the bane of his existence.

A forehand motion with Melodic Cudgel landed with a most satisfying impact and Roman had to hold back from sighing in bliss at Red's pained cry as she stumbled back from the blow. A semi-circle of White Fang spectators had formed to watch the show and the girl's staggering brought her to one faunus who grabbed her by her shoulders to halt her.

Then, with a shove and a laugh, he sent her back to Roman who brought his cane around for a backhand.

She was more prepared for this one but only just, her arms crossing over her face, and if it wasn't for her Aura the maneuver could've probably led to some kind of broken bone with the force alone enough to get her to slide along the ground on her back. Not that it had managed to leave her completely unscathed as, when Red dropped her arms, it was to reveal traces of bruises at her face. Half-healed though as any accelerated recovery from her Aura was interrupted to either protect her from another hit or soothe the aftermath.

The way she glared up at him despite the marks he found to be hilarious and he couldn't help but chuckle while he leaned against his cane. "Wow, you are much more manageable without that oversized gardening tool."

Growling, she launched herself from the ground, fists swinging wildly as she charged at him. Roman easily sidestepped one fist that went wide and he stuck his cane out, tripping up Red and getting her into another painful landing.

"Ohh-ho-ho man!" Roman actually had to wipe a tear from his eye and he addressed one faunus in particular who looked absolutely ridiculous with the pair of spectacles over the slits of his mask. "Ya know, Perry? I really did need this!"

Perry gave him a smile and a thumbs-up.

He hadn't been kidding about the day he had been having. Other than taking accurate inventory of their supplies, making sure the Dust-fueled bombs were of the explosive-quality that he wanted them to be, and that the modifications and loading of the train were going as scheduled, his trip to the surface to give a progress report to the boss had been as unforgiving as ever. Considering it had not been Cinder but Emerald who had been on the line, it had been rather distasteful.

Apparently things had gone swimmingly over at Beacon which, of course, got the street urchin to throw her undeserving authority around with the threats of how he better pull through on his end. Reciting his progress had been met with the typical comments of how he should move faster for her dear Cinder. Other than the bitter taste in his mouth that had gathered at the verbal exchange, he had a craving for a beating that he couldn't administer

Well, that was until Perry decided to answer his prayers with his third most hated youngster on Remnant delivered on a silver platter.

However, while a little bit of pleasure could come before business, it was business that he needed to get to now. As much as he did enjoy a good round of child beating, Red's presence here entailed very disturbing implications, and if there was one thing he learned it was that she _never_ came alone. If she was here, then the rest of those meddling kids had to be somewhere nearby.

"But seriously…" Kneeling down to the recovering girl, Roman brought Melodic Cudgel up so that the tip touched against her throat. "How'd you find this place, Red?"

Fear briefly passed across her features before they screwed up into a mask of defiance. Usually Roman would find it hilariously adorable that she could put up such an act when he questioned how long she could possibly keep it up. Unfortunately, such amusement decayed when those defiant silvers became mocking blood red eyes and Roman really, _really_ needed to hold back from following through with a desire to jab his cane into her throat to turn that expression into a wide-eyed, gasping one.

Just as Roman was beginning to think that he _might_ have some issues, his captive unexpectedly burst into a flurry of rose petals that flew against his face with a gust of wind.

"Woah!" He shot to his feet, slapping away those petals and looking around for her. He found her a good ways behind him, running along the train tracks in an effort to escape to one of the tunnels. _It's always fun when they try to run._

Roman redirected Melodic Cudgel at the fleeing girl, taking careful aim as he silently judged the distance…and then flipped the cane around in his hand before a burst of compressed gas fired off the handle. A wire trailed behind it with more than enough length supplied for the handle to fly towards Red. She looked over her shoulder at the last second but by then it was too late, the hood of that cloak getting hooked and she was jerked back to the ground.

Yep, that proved it: he was still awesome.

The wire began automatically winding back into Melodic Cudgel, dragging the girl back towards him. "I see you've got some tricks up your sleeve! Let me make one thing clear…" Once she was at his feet, that defiance having transformed into grimacing pain at being so roughly dragged, a flick of Roman's wrist freed his handle from her hood and clicked back into place. "Not through here yet."

The shaking of the cave coincided with the sound of an explosion, leading Roman to look at one of the tunnels that led back to where Perry had found their caped intruder. "Oh, what the-?" Sighing, Roman said to the faunus present, "Perry, if you and the boys could take care of that? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

Perry bowed, reminding Roman as to why he liked him, but he barely took a step before there came another explosion, this one louder and dirt showered down from the ceiling with how much the chamber shook.

"What is going on here!?" Roman shouted in aggravation, hating the interruption.

The answer was provided with the third and loudest blast and the criminal saw fire rushing out from the tunnel. When the flames dispersed, it was to reveal a group of faunus running away in terror, a couple actually screaming "Run!" while one paused in his retreat to fire a burst of gunfire back to where they came from.

White. Black. Yellow. It was those three colors that Roman had attributed to big trouble that ran out from the tunnel and chased after the fleeing White Fang soldiers along with a man dressed in brown and a small dog. He had no idea what the story was behind the dog but the metal torch that the man in brown was wielding spoke of how trouble was about to turn into a full-on calamity.

A weight fell on his shoulders, Roman shouting when his hat was forced down over his eyes. He reached up, grabbed onto something, threw it off of him, and yanked his hat back up.

Red was running towards her friends, and capture alive was no longer an option for Roman. "Somebody kill her!"

The whistling of Melodic Cudgel's explosive flares was immediately joined by the crack of pistol and rifle fire of the faunus grunts as they shot at her. She proved to be much better at dodging bullets, the killing intent of the shooters triggering her precognition to danger as she started darting side to side, projectiles whizzing by her. Despite the intense volley of fire, she didn't fall and ran further and further away from them.

Snarling through his teeth, Roman gripped his cane between his hands, Melodic Cudgel bending against the force before regaining its form when Roman let go and rounded towards the train. "Attach this car and spread the word," he ordered to the nearest not-Perry. "We're starting the train."

"But we're not finished!"

Lesser beings talking back to him was very likely to become a button Roman did not like having pressed with how much force he slammed the faunus against the train car with his cane, Melodic Cudgel nearly crushing the animal's windpipe and leaving him gurgling helplessly. "Do it, or _you're_ finished," he growled.

* * *

The gunfire coming to an end had Ruby looking back to see Roman and the faunus rushing to the train car. She breathed out a sigh of relief which transformed into a gasp when she faced forward and saw the line of the soldiers that had been running from her teammates but had stopped and trained their weapons on her.

She began skidding to a stop but she knew it was going to be too late. They were too close and too many. She wasn't going to be able to dodge in time!

There was a familiar _bang_ and the assembled firing line was broken by a detonation in the middle that had bodies and guns flying away.

"Ruby!"

Hearing and seeing Yang with arms outstretched when the fire settled had Ruby leaping into the safety that they promised. They welcomed her with crushing strength, lifting and spinning her around, but Ruby didn't mind in the least, taking relief in them. She did her best to maintain her bravery in spite of her capture but she had still been afraid beneath it all, the harrowing experience and bruises at her face coming in a rush and all she wanted to do right now was stay in her big sister's strong embrace with the fantasy that she would remain protected in them.

Yang set her down and a different touch came to her face, fingers gently turning her head so that Ruby could stare into blue irises full of concern. "Are you okay?"

In contrast to Yang's warmth, Weiss's fingers that traced along a bruise at her cheek were cool but Ruby took the same amount of relief from them with how they soothed the swelling. With this flood of support, it would be so easy to just sink into it and forget everything.

She overcame the temptation. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" She pulled out of Yang's embrace and pushed aside Weiss's hands in order to speak clearly. "But listen, Torchwick's got all sorts of weapons and robots down there!"

Blake removed Crescent Rose from her back and stopped cold when she held it out towards Ruby. "What?"

Ruby gladly retook her scythe, turning it around in her hands to inspect it for damage and to make sure everything was working. "Androids, mechs – they're all loaded up on the train cars!"

"That's ridiculous!" Oobleck refuted. "These tunnels are sealed! The tracks lead to a dead-end!"

Somewhere overhead, the static-ridden noise of a speaker came on, Roman's voice filling the cave. "Get to your places! We are leaving now!"

There was a hiss of steam at the parked train which slowly began to move away from them, a horn blaring.

"Well it sounds like they're going somewhere!" Yang said.

Ruby removed one hand from her inspection of her weapon in order to get out her scroll. "We need backup! Let me call Jaune!" She hit his contact, saw the dial screen come up, and stared with dismay when she saw the low signal window pop up. "I can't get through!"

"So what do we do?" Weiss asked.

"I believe we only have one option," Oobleck stated, resting his weapon against his shoulder.

Ruby slid Crescent Rose's magazine out, confirmed that it was fully loaded, and reinserted it. Her inspection complete, she turned to the moving train and cycled the bolt of her sniper rifle. "We're stopping that train."

* * *

When the cavern had been blown open, paving the way for the Grimm that resided within to invade Mountain Glenn's last haven, its citizens didn't stand a chance. There was no warning, doom rushing in in a black tide of tooth and claw as predators scoured these new hunting grounds. The caves which had acted as the sanctuary of human and faunus population trapped them, leaving them no room to escape as the Grimm hunted each and every one down, their fear betraying their hiding spots no matter how hidden they were.

It was perhaps the speed of the invasion, the thorough savagery of the invaders, and the lack of preparations that left a train and its cars to be left abandoned instead of being used for a last-minute evacuation.

It had been damaged, the Grimm needing to cause as much as they could to humanity's creations as well as humanity itself. Repairable, as that was what the White Fang had done, and modified with one modification being the plow attached to the front of the locomotive. As it ran along the tracks, it pulled over two dozen cars behind it easily; box cars that were intermittently broken with an occasional flat which served as platforms for the rows of Paladin-290 Battlesuits that were on station.

The tracks that it followed would lead it to only one destination: Vale.

At the end of the train, a faunus was looking out from the caboose and towards the front in anticipation as all that the White Fang had been preparing for was coming to fruition. They would be breaking into the heart of the city, bypassing the barriers and striking at the unsuspecting humans and their government. The horrors of Mountain Glenn would pale in comparison for what was in store for the city.

As eager as they all were, there were imperfections. They weren't going in full strength, the departure of the train originally supposed to occur days later. Not all of their armaments or personnel were loaded as many had been left behind thanks to the human interference.

Thinking of them, the faunus turned back and saw rose petals and the scrap of a cape just before it disappeared behind the caboose. He brought his scroll to his mouth. "I think they're on the-"

Something solid struck him behind the head, knocking him out.

* * *

All the way at the front within the locomotive, Roman kept track of their progress as the tusked faunus that had become the designated engineer fiddled with the control panel. It had been confirmed earlier on that the train was in working order and it would run, but the haste of their departure made him a tad nervous without the proper checks that he preferred to have done before they started it. Safety wasn't his main concern – it was only enough of one for him to worry about himself of course – as it was to not disappoint his employer. They were running way ahead of schedule than she would probably like as it is.

 _She'll have to live with it,_ he thought, something that he would _never_ say out loud. He may yet be able to salvage enough of this to gain forgiveness. Cinder was as intelligent as she was ruthless, able to recognize when circumstances were beyond one's control and would approve and perhaps even reward some revising to the details of her original plans in response to them so long as she still got her results.

That was what he was hoping for at least. In any case, staying would've meant complete failure and he hoped she would concede that much.

The door behind him slid open and a faunus entered to announce another problem. "Boss! They made it on the train!"

 _It's never easy when it comes to those kids._ After sighing, he snapped, "Then grab some cargo and get them off the train!"

His decision to go now, he knew, had left them underequipped with a lot of their weapons having been left behind and he also knew that ordering the use of what they did have to fight off Hunters could empty out the train. That didn't matter though. Their cargo was expendable as was the personnel. In fact, Roman did not expect a single faunus to live by the end of the day.

The only thing that mattered was getting this train to its destination and then make his getaway. _He_ planned on living through this.

Thoroughly chastised, the faunus disappeared, the door sliding back shut.

"Man!" he grumbled to himself. "Animals, every one of them."

The tusked faunus stopped and gave him a look.

"Not you though," he hastily corrected so as not to piss off the driver, smiling awkwardly. "You're, uh…you're great."

Satisfied, the faunus returned his attention to the panel.

Roman presented his back to him and brought a finger to his ear, touching the comm bead embedded there. "This includes you by the way."

A double-click was his answer. No backtalk, no questioning of his order. Just that short and sweet confirmation.

 _That girl, on the other hand, is such a_ treat.

* * *

It just had to be another train.

That was Blake's thought when she, Yang, Weiss, Ruby, Zwei, and Oobleck managed to reach the caboose using their respective weapons and Semblances to reach it with Ruby being the one to carry her dog. Their professor had already gone inside and when they later came up on him, it was to see him with a knocked out sentry at his feet.

"We should get up high," he advised, pointing towards the roof hatch. "If we're lucky, they are unaware of our boarding and we may be able to avoid a confrontation."

Weiss volunteered to go first, jumping up and through the hatch with Blake right behind her. Her hearing was immediately assailed with the clacking of the wheels of the cars on the tracks and the violent wind billowing out her hair – sensations that reminded her too much of the last time she had infiltrated a train.

When Blake looked around, it wasn't to be surrounded by exposed rock and dirt like the caves they left behind. This was a fully-formed and functional subway tunnel with concrete roof and walls, steel beams holding up catwalks that stretched along the sides of the tunnels and occasionally crossed over overhead so that maintenance workers could safely travel, inspect, and maintain the tunnel. There was another pair of tracks along the ones that their train was currently traveling on, hinting to another that had once been in service but Blake hadn't seen it.

_Do they plan to ride this all the way to Vale?_

"Hurry, children!" Oobleck called once he ascended. "We must get to the front and stop this train!"

Weiss had been holding the hatch open so that the rest of them could go on through. Once they were all on the roof, she had been lowering it to shut it but stopped and lifted it back up, spotting something within the caboose that had her calling, "Professor?"

" _Doctor_."

Weiss pointed back into the caboose. "What's that?"

Blake gathered around the hatch with the rest of them, looking down to see what caught their teammate's interest. She didn't know how they had missed it, probably too focused on getting in and up above the caboose, but resting near the center of the floor was a big, cylindrical device. A panel of some sort was on top and along the sides were capsules with tubing running between them and the device, filled with powdered Dust.

Oobleck knelt down to better examine it. "That, my dear…appears to be a bomb."

All of RWBY quickly stepped away from the hatch.

"We've got baddies!" Ruby suddenly warned, pointing down the train.

Up ahead, hatches from the other cars had been flung open with numerous White Fang soldiers climbing either up through them or along the sides of the train cars. What their purpose was was obvious, a couple pointing towards the gathered Hunters and waving their fellows on towards them.

"Well," Oobleck started saying, "I didn't expect them to go-"

A loud whirring from within the caboose got him to pause and they all looked back within to see the panel on top of the bomb blink on, a consistent red flash coinciding with an ominous beeping.

"…easy on us." He stood up. "Time to go!" When RWBY turned to do just that, he placed a hand on Blake to stop her. "Blake, detach the caboose! It will kill us all!"

"On it!" While Oobleck and her teammates jumped to the next car, Blake dropped to where the caboose was coupled, Gambol Shroud already out and she held it up in preparation. _Yes, this seems so much like last time._

Except last time she didn't remember train cars decoupling by themselves.

Blake stood with her weapon still raised, just standing there and watching dumbly as the caboose began pulling away as it lost speed. Snapping herself out of it, Blake shouted up, "It decoupled itself!"

Oobleck looked down at her over the edge of the car. "What?"

"I guess he _really_ doesn't want us on this train!" Yang commented.

Blake began climbing up to the car, pausing only when she heard a loud detonation and felt a flare of heat. A glance back showed the caboose tumbling along the tracks, the bomb having ripped it open and blasted it off its wheels. The damage extended to the tunnel itself, Blake barely making out the fall of debris coming from the ceiling, the concrete roof sporting a large hole.

"That's not good," Blake heard Oobleck mutter when she reached the edge of the car and boosted herself up.

"Uh, neither is this!"

Blake saw Ruby, Weiss, and Zwei standing around the hatch of their new car, the girls holding it open while the corgi looked down, the stubby tail wagging heedlessly to what Blake could guess was inside. "Another bomb!?"

Oobleck similarly stared at the three, then switched back to the flaming wreckage of the caboose that was just pulling out of view. "No, no, no..." He ran past Ruby and Weiss, jumped to the next car, and opened the hatch of that one to make a startling discovery. "They _all_ have bombs!"

None of them had a chance to comment because their bomb took that moment to activate and Blake felt more than heard their car decouple from Oobleck's. Needless to say, their immediate priority was running and then leaping to their teacher. Only with safety momentarily achieved did they all watch the car they just evacuated begin pulling away.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Yang shouted.

"Get the humans!"

Having been distracted by the bombs, it was only the shout that redirected Team RWBY's attention back to the assembling of the White Fang soldiers. Their hurry to retreat from the rigged train cars had cut the distance between them and the mob from several train cars to one, and Blake could see how far their numbers extended over the roofs.

It was much easier the second time around, she found, when she and her team engaged her former comrades. There was little to no hesitation when she slid her sword out of its sheath, taking both in her hands, and then bounding towards them with blades swinging. With an added boost from her Semblance, she struck left and right, slashing across the chests and stomachs of those she passed and knocking them over the sides of the train.

A Fang member directly in front of her pointed a rifle and fired, Blake leaning back and her feet dancing in a circle as she twisted beneath and around the burst of projectiles. At the end of it her sheath came up first, slicing off the barrel of the gun, and the flat of the blade of her sword came around to smack against the side of his helmet, throwing him off the train.

A lot of them were fighting bare-handed, making Blake wonder if there hadn't been enough weapons supplied to arm them all. That was the case of one faunus who kicked at Yang but was interrupted when the blonde intercepted and knocked it back with her foot, throwing him off balance which was erased completely when Yang swept his other leg out from under him. Ember Celica was brought to bear, catching him before he began falling, and Yang sent him right through the roof and into the car.

Weiss slid right through the middle of the fighting, Myrtenaster pointed straight ahead. Behind her feet, icy stalagmites grew and shot upwards, stabbing at any nearby White Fang soldiers. Whether struck solidly by the tips or taking too many stumbling steps back to avoid them, what had to be a whole score of soldiers met the same fate as their compatriots. They weren't the last as when Weiss came to a stop, she switched from spellwork to swordplay, rapier and fencer twirling together gracefully with the weapon lashing out in long arcs, the short and thin weapon able to cover the small space of the roof and leaving very few faunus room to escape as they were struck.

Against Crescent Rose, there was no room at all when Ruby cleaned Weiss's leftovers. If there were any faunus that had been present during the capture and interrogation of RWBY's leader, they were enlightened to the difference between a Ruby without her weapon and a Ruby with it. When she shot forward, all that they would see was the lengthy handle and the curved scythe blade and realize that there was no point in dodging or blocking in that split second when another bout of recoil brought both around, the reach of the weapon sweeping an entire group off their feet and off the train.

They were falling even faster and easier than the Beowolves they fought previously, but that didn't quell Blake's fears of just what the point in all of this was.

* * *

It was quite apparent that Oobleck wasn't needed. Leaving the ongoing fight to his students, he focused instead on the latest car that had decoupled and was slowly pulling away. When it blew, it was still close enough for him to instinctively lean back and bring up an arm to guard against the heat and pressure wave of the explosion.

Much like the first, the car was blown off the tracks, the force of the detonation enough to lift it and slam into the roof. Between the impact of the car and the bomb, the concrete fractured and broke apart, chunks falling and partially burying the wreckage.

The debris wasn't the only thing that fell into the tunnel.

Morning sunlight beamed down through the opening and it was with it that Doctor Oobleck saw the black bodies that stirred within the rubble. The first creatures to rise did so with inverted knees that held up their stout bodies. Their stubby heads, covered in bone, shook along with their tails as they recovered from the unexpected fall. It didn't take long, their thick necks already twisting towards the train.

It wasn't just Creeps. A pair of Ursai stood upon the wrecked train car, and a hole at one wall was the entry point for a Beowolf to lope on out, a Deathstalker squeezing on through shortly after.

Another chunk of the subway broke away, and then a long, gigantic body fell, the space provided by the tunnel almost inadequate to fit the pile-up of the scaled coils. Dwarfing the Grimm that were present, the coils shifted, and the slender head of a King Taijitu came into view. Its tongue flicked out, getting a taste of its surroundings, and then the fanged maw opened to unleash a roar that reverberated throughout the tunnel.

It was a late-delivered rallying cry as the Grimm were already running down the tunnel, giving chase to the train as soon as they saw it. The few members that paused in their pursuit did so to feast on what prey was already in sight: the White Fang soldiers that had fallen from the train.

One Creep shook as it was riddled with gunfire by one faunus that managed to come to his senses in time to see the horrors that had just been unleashed into the tunnel. Its bone armor was chipped away, the bullets eventually ripping into its leathery hide, and the Creep uttered a weak roar before it fell over.

It was a very short-lived victory. For the one Creep that fell, five more immediately replaced it. A burst caught another Creep in mid-lunge, stopping but not killing it, and when the faunus turned his rifle to the others, they were already upon him, the clawed feet of one bringing him down with the rest piling on top, their gaping mouths of jagged teeth opening and closing as they fought to claim a prize. He vanished beneath them, the only thing that came out from the mass of Creeps being a scream that was abruptly cut off.

Three faunus hoping to gain safety through elevation were climbing a ladder to reach one of the catwalks. An Ursa stood on its hind legs, grabbed the ladder, and with a powerful wrench and a squeal of metal, tore it down. Two of the Fang members fell with the first immediately being pinned down by the paw of the Ursa, keeping him in place, his struggles all for naught as the Grimm's fangs lowered to begin taking chunks out of him. The second tried to crawl away until a Beowolf seized her by the leg and dragged her back where its own claws awaited to perform another method of execution.

The third faunus managed to get to the catwalk and watched from it as his fellows were grisly dispatched. So shocked by it and too reliant on his attained safety, he was still standing there, gripping the rail of the walkway, when the Taijitu snapped its black head towards him, its mouth opening wide and seizing him from his perch. The leg of its prey still visible and twitching from its mouth, the snake tilted its head back to swallow the rest of him.

The Grimm that were distracted were of the barest fraction of the horde that stampeded down the tunnel, lured by the train.

"Oh dear…" Oobleck uttered.

* * *

"He's leading Grimm to the city!"

RWBY had finished with the last of their opponents when Oobleck's call came, Ruby spinning around while Weiss cried, "What!?"

"It's the cars!" Oobleck explained. "They detach and explode, creating openings for the Grimm!"

Ruby looked past him and saw all the proof she needed: the white tail of a Deathstalker acting as a standard for the army of Grimm that were behind them.

Blake saw them too. "That's insane!"

The next car in line chose that moment to be set free, proving the validity if not the sanity of what was going on.

Ruby stared ahead, all the clues that had come from their investigation brought together. At the end of this tunnel was Vale, its citizens wakening to a brand new day. Unknown to them, the terror of the Grimm that they had been protected from for so long were approaching, about to come up right beneath them.

This was the kind of evil plot that Ruby had imagined foiling but she felt only one thing: terror. True terror as she experienced for herself just what was at stake. A kingdom that was about to come under direct attack with lives expected to be lost and all of it hanging on them. The full weight of it came down on her, rooting Ruby in place.

_People will die._

Her fists clenched and her jaw set with determination.

_But only if we do nothing._

"We have to hurry!" Oobleck shouted, running up to them and pointing towards her teammates. "You three, go below and try to stop those bombs!"

"What about us?" Ruby asked.

"We're going to stop this train!"

"…Yeah, I know." Ruby sighed. "I said that earlier."

"Right, well…" Oobleck pointed ahead. "On we go then!"

Blake knelt down and opened another hatch for Weiss and Yang to fall through with her following suit. While her team went down below, Ruby and Oobleck stayed above the train, the two of them sprinting on ahead with Zwei keeping up between them.

The way looked cleared with no other White Fang soldiers coming up to stop them and Ruby was about to think that they might actually have a clear shot towards the front. That was until Oobleck pointed forward. "Up ahead!"

Ruby squinted against the rushing wind, trying to make out what was to be their latest obstacle that was heading towards them. She recognized the familiar shape before the Paladin leapt over the last pair of cars, smashing through a hanging catwalk with no difficulties before slamming down to block their path, unveiling its cannons as it switched from its mobility mode to its combat mode.

She and Oobleck came to an immediate stop but Zwei went on a little longer so that he would stand in front of them. Usually so happy and energetic, the corgi bent down on his four legs, head lowering and lips pulling back to bare his teeth against the giant battlesuit. Initially growling at the Paladin, Zwei paused to deliver a short bark to the Huntsman and Huntress.

"Ah, I see," Oobleck murmured with raised brows. Smiling, the doctor pulled out his thermos, took a deep gulp from it, and then reextended it to its full length.

Ruby stood perplexed, getting her first real good look at his weapon and trying to get over how he had just been _drinking_ out of what had become a nozzle for the large flame that was lit at the end.

What happened next was actually _not_ as baffling. Once the Huntsman appeared ready, Zwei jumped into the air, his small body curling into a ball akin to a Boarbatusk.

And then Oobleck hit him as if he were a baseball.

It was a known fact that Aura was a property that all living things possessed and could harness when properly trained. This included animals. While wild animals such as wolves and deer were limited to what control their instincts allowed and domesticated animals kept as pets lived a life of luxury that had no use for it, those that were properly-trained could unlock and put it to use. Much like dogs trained to see for their blind masters, there were ones that could accompany Hunters, serving roles such as sniffing out and tracking Grimm or humans and faunus that had been reported as missing during a rescue mission.

Considering the situations that could be encountered in those roles, a dog would be trained to use their Aura to fight alongside their masters. Zwei was one such dog – not just one brought to the Rose-Xiao Long household as a pet, but as a protector.

So when Oobleck struck him, the Burn Dust that was in his weapon and conjured up the flame at the end burst forth and surrounded him, turning him into a flaming cannonball that was fired as such. The Paladin had been slowly approaching with cannons firing until Zwei made impact. The several tons of bipedal machinery folded against the flaming canine, driven off its feet and off the train where it tumbled end over end alongside it.

Zwei touched back down onto the train and watched with tail wagging as the wrecked Paladin rolled away only to hop around when a second Paladin slammed down. Issuing a surprised bark, Zwei tilted his head innocently at the barrels of the heavy cannons that were aiming down towards him.

Before the pilot could fire, several tendrils of flame stretched forth and battered against the Paladin, the cannons knocked away from Zwei as the battlesuit stumbled against the attack. Oobleck leapt forward to perform another, swinging his torch around and creating an arc of fire that struck its legs, putting it completely off balance. One foot slipped and an instant later the second Paladin joined the first, falling and rolling uncontrollably alongside the train while Oobleck landed in a crouch, striking a pose with weapon held to the side and fingers holding the brim of his hat.

Ruby watched it all with eyes wide and mouth hanging open. _Best. Doctor. Ever!_

Oobleck straightened and faced his student, smiling confidently. "Ready to see a 'pro-Huntsman' in action, Ruby?"

"Am I ever!" Armed Crescent Rose in hand, she, Oobleck, and Zwei all charged towards their next opponent.

* * *

Blake still couldn't get over it. _The White Fang are using_ Grimm _?_

She wanted to deny it but how could she after seeing the evidence for herself? The White Fang were trying to make use of the monsters that were the enemies to all of civilization. They wanted to _set them loose_ into a city where not only humans but faunus too were living. How could they possibly accept such a thing?

_How could they accept working with a human? How could they accept attacking other faunus on his orders?_

Every time she came into contact with the group again, it was with one terrible revelation after another. Just when she thought that they couldn't do worse, that there was a shred of decency that she wanted to believe they still held, she would find them having cast it aside in order to carry out their latest atrocity.

_But to go this far?_

"I guess this is what we've trained for."

Hearing Yang got Blake to remember where they were and what they had been entrusted to do. It was hard but she tried to bring their mission to the forefront. Whether the White Fang were clearly capable of going through with something like that or not, it was up to them to make sure that it didn't happen.

"I don't see any bombs," she reported after a quick visual scan of the car they entered.

"Maybe they ran out?" Yang guessed.

 _Or had enough,_ Blake silently added, thinking of the monstrous host that was outside at this very moment. "If there aren't anymore, maybe we should try getting to the front this way while Ruby and Oobleck travel on top."

Yang nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Blake," Weiss suddenly called, her teammate holding something out to her. "Here, this should help you."

Blake took it and examined it. It was a pistol magazine much like what she used to load her ammo for Gambol Shroud but there was something very different about this ammunition. _Full-Dust rounds._

Normally the application of Dust in bullets was kept to using its powdered form as the propellant within the cartridge. When the Dust was ignited, the ignition and the user's Aura would infuse its power into the projectile.

Full-Dust cartridges, however, had the propellant _and_ the projectile made of Dust. Powder made up the former, but instead of using a metal or alloy for the bullet, pieces of crystalized Dust would be carefully cut and shaped into bullets and used instead. With pieces of Dust crystals loaded in a person's weapon, there came the benefit of not only making whatever shot a person took more powerful, but a trained Aura-user could tap into what elemental power that was in the crystals to perform minor spells.

They were a lot more powerful than ordinary rounds and more expensive. Eyeing the different colored cartridges and feeling the power that emanated from each one, Blake unsheathed Gambol Shroud and slid the magazine effortlessly into the pistol hilt. A perfect fit.

Weiss had a small smile but Blake didn't return it just yet, choosing to resheathe her blade first. _She really went out of her way for me._ The tips of Blake's lips curved up and she nodded in gratitude towards the Schnee heiress.

Once Yang saw they were done, she took it upon herself to start moving, the two of them falling behind her. However, they barely crossed halfway through the car when a figure fell from above and landed right in their path.

The figure righted, revealing herself to be the tri-colored girl that Blake had seen with Roman both at the White Fang meeting and when she had arrived shortly after their team had defeated Roman's Paladin and were about to take the criminal in. Her one hand was at one hip, thumb hooked beneath her belt, while the other held that umbrella at her side, currently closed.

Blake had caught the girl's name from Roman during their last encounter. _Neo._

Neo didn't come any closer, settling with standing languidly in place, a smirk splitting her face while brown eyes swept over the trio.

Blake was about to redraw her weapon but Yang held up a hand. "You two go on ahead. This one's _mine_."

The faunus kept her fingers wrapped around the hilt but didn't pull it out. "Yang, are you sure?"

Neo's gaze had gone to Yang when the brawler spoke up. Upon Blake speaking, those brown orbs went to her. Their eyes locked and Blake experienced a chill while swearing that she saw that smirk lengthen by a marginal fraction. _There's something very wrong with this girl…_

"There's no reason for all of us to be delayed," Yang pointed out. "We're here to stop the train, not beat everyone that crosses our path. Besides, I have a bone to pick with this one."

Blake had to admit that it was sound reasoning. Although the three-to-one odds would be very favorable, it would still be wasting valuable time if all three of them stopped to fight. Besides, Neo probably knew that it wasn't defeating them that would let her win but holding out as long as possible for the train to reach its destination. They would have the numbers but they didn't know anything about her fighting capabilities or whatever tricks she had up her sleeve, including whatever spell or Semblance that had allowed her and Roman to get away before.

But she still didn't like the idea of leaving Yang alone with her. In that brief meeting of eyes, Blake had detected something wicked beneath the smirk and colorful persona. An eagerness to not so much as fight but to _play_ with the three of them.

Unfortunately, they had no choice. Whatever feelings Blake may have about it, she had to put them to the side. They had to stop this train and every second they wasted here was one that had it and the Grimm coming ever closer to the city.

"Alright." Blake shared a glance with Weiss, they each exchanged a nod, and then ran forward.

That eagerness that Blake had noted before came to the forefront when Neo reacted, taking a step towards the approaching black and white pair with both hands clutching her umbrella, that smirk twisting into an excited grin. Neither Blake or Weiss slowed down and, soon enough, one of Yang's flares shot past them, on a direct course for Neo who nimbly flipped back so that it exploded against the floor. The two used the chance to run right by her and Blake spared one glance over her shoulder to see Yang walking towards Neo before she and Weiss entered the next car, the door cutting her girlfriend off from sight.

_Be careful, Yang._

They traveled through the car unhindered and did the same for the next. Somewhere in the middle, Blake turned her head up, her cat ears flexing up beneath her bow as they detected explosions and thunderous stomping that was not only loud but actually got one of the cars they went through to shudder. Something big was running along on top of the train and when the action repeated itself, Blake realized it was more than one. She added Oobleck, Ruby, and even Zwei on her list of people that she was worried about.

She silently pleaded for there to be less foes than there were allies but those pleas were rejected by the rumbling of what sounded like a chainsaw when she and Weiss entered the latest car. As it turned out, that was exactly what it was. A saw with a blade that was longer if not as long as the muscular man who was walking towards them. He was donned in the White Fang uniform and Blake discovered that this was also someone she recognized from the rally: the lieutenant that had been on stage and introduced Torchwick to the recruits. There was the tattoo on his left arm and the full-face mask with crimson tears trailing down the painted eyes.

He half-dragged the saw behind him, its rumbling broken with ear-hurting shrieks when the spinning teeth touched the floor, sending out sparks with each contact.

"You go on ahead!" Weiss ordered before Blake even had the chance to ask.

She didn't bother arguing. "Got it!"

The lieutenant hefted up the saw, chuckling deeply before it was cut off when the rumble of the chainsaw turned into a roar. Weiss lunged forward, Myrtenaster raised, but instead of meeting the overhead strike that the faunus performed, she sprung back and it was Blake who met it with a heavy underhand done with Gambol Shroud.

The saw and its wielder both reeled back and Weiss used it to her advantage when she performed another lunge, this time with Myrtenaster coming all the way with a thrust that drove the point right into the faunus's mask. His head reared backward from the strike and he took a step back, but recuperated fast enough to parry the fencer's follow-up thrust. He remained on the defensive, tilting and shifting the saw to block Weiss's next series of thrusts before one from underneath struck him beneath his chin and sent him off his feet with a crash.

 _I did owe her,_ Blake thought, catching the grateful smile that Weiss sent her way before she left another one of her teammates behind.

This time, Blake wasn't given the chance to even entertain the thought that her way to the locomotive was clear. Shortly after entering the next car, she came to a halt in the presence of her opponent.

"Hello, kitty cat." Roman twirled his cane by the handle as he stood in her path, grinning mockingly. "You miss me?"

* * *

Yang walked with purposeful strides towards the pink pipsqueak, fists clenched tight, shoulders squared, and boots thudding audibly. Despite trying to appear as intimidating as she possibly could, it didn't appear to faze Neo in the least, the girl waiting patiently even when Yang was mere feet away and their difference in height became very obvious with Neo having to tilt her head up to look at Yang. She only came up to the blonde's chest.

Yet that grin grew to stretch all across her face and her umbrella was held with the clear intent of using it. She blinked and when her lids slid back it was for Yang to see that the right eye had changed from brown to pink in that short second.

That expression broadcasted more than a challenge. Yang caught the same thing that Blake did. Small and young she may appear, but Yang perceived something vile hidden beneath Neo's sweet exterior.

 _Pint-sized girl, but hangs with a sociopathic criminal and a murdering band of terrorists._ Yang probably couldn't even _begin_ to imagine as to how many screws were loose beneath that swirly hair. She held nothing back, bringing her fist up and sending it right towards Neo's face.

She didn't see it coming. She saw the added exposure of teeth as Neo's grin grew while her brows lowered and eyes narrowed in preparation but she didn't see blow that sent her spinning back with a grunt. Feet messily shuffled, eventually regaining footing and Yang readdressed her opponent.

Neo had her umbrella pointed at her, the grin having never left her. The canopy opened, showing off the elaborately-decorated lace fabric of her colors before she tilted it back and to the side next to her head. She remained there, waiting.

Yang didn't let her wait long. Growling at the taunting presentation, Yang leapt to reengage, fists punching in a succession of jabs and crosses, broken with a fluid uppercut and a kick.

Neo retreated from her assault but not because she was frightened. Her head tilted to the left, the brawler's first jab flying on by, and then repeating the process when it rolled to the right, avoiding the next. A step back and a partial lean to the side had an uppercut sailing on by, her head ducking beneath a cross, and a hop kept her out of reach of a kick.

She did it all with that untiring grin, umbrella against her shoulder and hand on her hip. Each powerful blow that Yang sent her way, she dodged with such bare movements that kept her way off target.

 _Hold still you little-!_ Yang kept advancing on her, her punches and kicks unrelenting, and even alternating by letting the momentum of one crossed punch bring her into a spin and a crouch, coming down more to Neo's height to swing her first around to connect with her side but what Neo avoided with another short hop, leaning forward and pulling her middle just out of reach of Yang's knuckles.

The brawler jumped from her crouch and struck up high with a kick. It was only then that Neo was forced to block, her umbrella closing so that she could effectively use it to do so. The unorthodox weapon moved left and right, blocking another pair of punches and a kick. So immersed in her assault, Yang didn't expect a high-heeled boot to suddenly come up and catch her right across her cheek, interrupting her and hammering her into the floor.

She raised herself on her arms and looked up, her teeth gritting when she saw Neo smiling down at her with amusement. The pink-haired girl flipped up and dropped with a knee to bury into her stomach but Yang rolled away at the last second, stood up, and lunged with another punch.

She thought she reacted fast but Neo was much faster. That umbrella caught Yang's fist, twisting it up with Neo grabbing her arm and pulling her closer, positioning Yang's head right over her shoulder. Perfect for the bridge of her foot to come up and collide with her face. It stunned her, leaving her stomach open for Neo to plant that same boot right into it and bring Yang to the floor a second time.

 _Punches don't seem to be working._ Yang forced herself up, ignoring the pain in her abdomen. _Gotta punch harder then. Wait, where-?_

Empty space greeted her when she looked to where Neo was just standing. She whirled around, spotted those heterochromatic eyes, and instinctively launched another punch, this time with an explosive flare being fired.

The lacey canopy came between them, Yang's flare exploding against it with fire washing harmlessly over the surface. A second did little better and then the canopy was closing as Neo whipped the umbrella around, swatting aside Yang's fist. Yang immediately brought it back but the tip of the umbrella pushed it up, another flare flying right over Neo's head while the handle hit against Yang's stomach, doubling her over, and again exposing her face to another umbrella strike.

Now it was Yang who was retreating. She leapt back, trying to gain distance and happening to avoid another hit. She fired another pair of flares, each being deflected in a similar manner and then Yang was being bumped back, her view obstructed by the open lace canopy.

 _Who even uses an umbrella to fight!?_ Yang roared in frustration, delivering her next flare below the barrier and what she intended to be Neo's feet.

The ice cream girl backflipped away from the explosion, landed, and executed a handspring that brought her to a short crate that worked perfectly as a chair for her to plop down on, her umbrella once again open and resting back while one leg swung up and crossed over her other. She smiled at her own performance and a blink had her left eye pink and the right one brown. Even that miniscule display was full of cheerful taunt.

Yang chose not to rush in so hazardously this time, instead staying in place while her breath came out labored.

She had always liked to boast that there had to be very few who could ever beat her in hand-to-hand. She took immense pride in it. But what this girl was doing went beyond that. That twisting, grappling, and flipping was not any kind of hand-to-hand style but, rather, the perfect counter for it. _And don't even get me_ started _on those kicks._

She hadn't landed one blow whereas Neo had administered several and they were ones that also worked against Yang. Painful as they were, there was no real power behind them. Enough to ring Yang's bells but the energy that her Semblance could gain from them were far from making up for what she was wasting in her failed attacks.

 _How long had she been watching us fight Roman, I wonder._ Depending on if Neo had only arrived in the nick of time to save Roman or had done so earlier and remained on the sidelines, she could've seen Yang's capabilities. Perhaps deduced the nature of Yang's Semblance and came up with how to work around it.

_That's not all though…_

Yang was tiring. Her heavy breaths not only carried the exertions of the fight itself but of an entire day's worth of scouring Mountain Glenn and purging it of Beowolves. Her 'what's another hour' comment was really coming back to bite her. Between her troubled sleeping and talking with Blake and Weiss, followed by taking the shift after Ruby when all this went down, Yang had barely gotten any sleep. It wasn't only affecting her stamina but how she was thinking and fighting. Somehow she could still find humor in the irony: all the fuss of getting Blake to sleep, and here she was now.

She had to end this soon. It wasn't just to catch up with her teammates. If this continued for too long, she may not be capable of fighting.

 _But she's just so damn_ short, Yang mentally complained, gaze resting on Neo.

The vertically challenged girl tilted her head curiously, the motion and how she was sitting all relaxed with her umbrella making it seem like she was waiting for Yang to join her for tea.

She just needed to land one hit. One strong blow to wipe that patronizing smirk right off her face. Yang doubted that Neo would fair particularly well against such an attack. She'd really like to see her keep up with that flippy, jumpy nonsense with a fist imprinted in her stomach anyway.

 _I'll get her._ Yang inhaled one last collection of oxygen. _I have to._

She approached her the same way again but she knew that Neo wasn't fooled. The tri-colored girl viewed her approach with quiet mirth, another head tilt asking if she was really being serious.

Yang answered with another punch.

All that it restarted was another thrashing. Neo spun on top of the crate, umbrella and foot knocking aside her punch and getting her to step back. The umbrella-wielder took and capitalized on the space, coming at Yang with flips that had her two most effective weapons driving her back, another strong kick getting her sliding across the floor.

Yang fired a flare, Neo predictably blocking it with her umbrella and Yang used the opportunity to close in and strike with another fist which was deflected by the rounded surface of the canopy. Neo spun away, closed her umbrella, and then came forward, gripping it by the middle in order to strike with both ends, one after another. Yang blocked, blocked, blocked, attempted to return fire, and again had her fist swatted up and her flare blasted into the roof of the car.

Neo's grin didn't even twitch, expressing complete confidence of what was to come, and spun to deliver a roundhouse – only for Yang to grab it.

 _Got ya!_ Yang pulled Neo closer by the captured leg, close enough to see the smile having been wiped away for the first time, her opponent's eyes wide with surprise. Yang pivoted on her heel, lifting Neo and bringing her with her to hurl her across the car.

As soon as she was released, Neo held out her umbrella, the canopy creating the air resistance to not only halt her flight but allow her to maneuver and land harmlessly on her feet at a quarter of the distance that Yang intended.

_Oh._

Neo sprung forward, catching Yang while she was still off balance from the failed throw, grappling an arm and swinging up onto her shoulders and head.

_Come._

That arm still in her grip, Neo spun like a top, Yang being forced to follow, building momentum, and then Neo dropped back down, pressed her feet against Yang's spine, and threw her up towards the ceiling.

_O-OOOOON!_

Yang's back slammed against the ceiling, her head connecting right after. When she fell to the floor, she was already unconscious.

* * *

For Weiss, she was having the opposite problem with her adversary.

Another heavy blow came down but it was up to her to take care of it. A blue barrier was summoned in front of her, the descending teeth of the chainsaw grinding and churning against it to no avail. The heiress drew back her rapier, waited, and then dropped her barrier in time with her thrust that forced the saw up.

The fencer had immediately identified the weaknesses of someone using such a heavy and lengthy weapon. There was no feinting – no way the wielder to stop in mid-swing and switch up their attack. As for the angles of attacks that were available, they were very limited: swing it down or to the side. Thanks to most of the chainsaw being nothing but a belt of spinning sawteeth, there was no way for anyone to change up their grip and make themselves more versatile.

Against someone like Weiss – a fencer who was about speed and reading the subtle signs of attack – it made the faunus she was fighting extremely easy to predict. When the lieutenant came with another attack – this one another overhead strike – that second of building up the strength and momentum needed to carry it out might as well take a lifetime. By the time the saw blade was descending, Weiss already had Myrtenaster in position and she grimaced when the jagged teeth chewed against the length of the slender blade while it ran down it, Weiss angling the attack away from her.

The durzaanium-crafted blade held and the chainsaw impacted against the floor, exposing an opening that was a mile wide. Myrtenaster swept in, slapping against that mask for the umpteenth time, and Weiss flipped alongside her stumbling opponent to repeat the strike from the other side.

There was no way to follow through one attack with another in quick succession. It was all about making one swing, readdress, and swing again. It was in the middle of those steps that gave Weiss plenty of freedom to strike, strike, strike, and strike again. Every failed swing that the lieutenant made, Weiss responded and connected with triple the amount. With her speed and her Dust, she was virtually untouchable.

She lost count as to how many hits she made but not only was the lieutenant _still standing_ but was still fighting without any sign of tiring.

_Is this what it means to fight one of their elite?_

Blake had once warned them all about that. When Yang made a comment about the ease of which they had taken care of the foot soldiers at the docks and how they could possibly be considered as a threat, Blake imparted them with a dire warning.

 _"The members of the White Fang that we've been fighting so far are nothing but low-level soldiers," she explained. "Cannon fodder recruited from the faunus populations of cities or other settlements that have made them inexperienced when it comes to real combat. They're meant to bolster the White Fang's numbers and provide hands to go with their growing amount of weapons, but nothing more. The veterans and the officers - they're the ones you have to worry about. They're the ones that know how to fight. They're the ones that know how to_ survive _."_

When Blake had said that, she was mostly referring to faunus such as herself who had lived outside the kingdoms and were bereft of the protection they provided, forcing them to learn how to fight. If they did not, then they died.

For some reason though, Weiss didn't think that matched the likes of this lieutenant. There were details that she had been picking up from him that possibly pointed to a different kind of faunus.

His strength. The way he took her blows but persevered, ready for more. His savage and barbaric style of fighting, void of any true skill.

Then there was his weapon: a saw. A tool that was nonetheless being wielded as a weapon. Ruby's views on other people's weapons had been rubbing off on Weiss, specifically of what a weapon said about its user. For a true Hunter, their weapon was an extension of themselves – a sword or a scythe or a firearm that, when asked what they would use, they would immediately think of that and nothing else. Even for someone who wasn't training to be a Huntsman or Huntress, each person possessed a natural draw to a weapon that suited their personality best.

So what would such a chainsaw that Weiss had degraded say about this man?

The answer and the reason she started thinking about all this was what the lieutenant said to her when Blake had disappeared. Words that had been spoken with the hatred that Weiss felt in every swing he made, every guttural roar and snarl that he uttered like a mad animal after each of her blows.

"Finally," he had growled. "I get to kill a Schnee."

It made Weiss wonder if he had once been a faunus laborer.

She wondered if he had been a laborer to the _Schnees_.

The saw came back in a horizontal swing. An acrobatic somersault got Weiss beneath it and she once again took advantage of how the heavy weapon strayed so far from the lieutenant for another linked pair of strikes against his helmet. Her third attack was a thrust, one that he managed to block before Weiss pulled back, gripped the hilt in both hands, and swung up with enough speed to avoid the saw and enough power to floor him.

She flipped over him, getting a better angle and manipulating him into rising and twisting around for another sloppy horizontal swing performed one-handedly that Weiss gracefully ducked under. Another downward slash that Weiss sidestepped, the sawteeth screeching against the floor again, but only for the brief instant it took for the saw to pull back, the lieutenant reestablishing his two-handed grip, and transitioning into a horizontal strike.

It was an attack that nearly caught her, forcing her to take the hit full-on with Myrtenaster, the sparks that were produced by the meeting nearly reaching up to her eyes to blind her. She couldn't stand up against the full power behind it, visibly faltering. The lieutenant, registering the chance, raised his foot – almost as big as Weiss's torso – and lashed out with a kick.

It could've easily crushed her ribs if Weiss hadn't been fast enough. She jumped up, the faunus instead kicking over the bulky crate behind her, and the fencer's boots touched the ceiling before she spiraled down, stabbing towards him. He retreated away only for Weiss to roll after him, thrust when she rose again, flip over a low slice, and thrust again, knocking him to the floor.

He was only going to stand again. Knowing this, Weiss held Myrtenaster in front of her and closed her eyes. She concentrated on the Electric Dust stored within the revolving cylinder of her rapier which responded to the spiking of her Aura.

_The speed of lightning._

Her haste glyph manifested beneath her: a clock with spinning hands and gears that increased in acceleration. Weiss felt Nature's Wrath infusing into her Aura, surrounding her, the magic of the spell separating her from the normal flow of time and accelerating its passage in the small space that consisted of her own body.

She struck not with the power of a lightning bolt but with its speed. Time continued on as normal but in her accelerated state it meant everything had become slow, including the White Fang lieutenant. Weiss shot forth and thrust her hand out.

Numerous glyphs surrounded the faunus and the turning of his head to see them was performed in such slow motion that he was still looking at them when Weiss sped past him, slicing across his stomach. Weiss touched the first glyph, stopped, turned, saw him still in a state of half-reacting to her blow, and she struck again. This occurred eight times in quick succession, Weiss rebounding off each glyph and flying past him with each pass involving a stroke of her rapier, juggling him up into the air before her eighth strike slammed him back down.

Another glyph appeared and when Weiss came in contact with it, it was with her haste spell wearing off, her perception of time returning to normal in a rush. She paid it no mind, sure that that had done job of weakening him enough that one more attack should finish him.

 _This ends now!_ Weiss launched towards his downed form, Myrtenaster once again stabbing down.

He rolled away at the last second, the rapier piercing into the floor instead.

 _He can still move like that?_ Undeterred, Weiss leapt up, pulling her rapier back for the finishing blow.

"Come here, princess!"

A large hand nearly engulfed her head, Weiss's cry of shock muffled against his palm. Like a ragdoll he easily hoisted her up and smashed her headfirst into the floor.

If all sense of the world hadn't just been brutally undone, Weiss may've felt the metal sag beneath her, creating an imprint closely resembling her body. As it was, she was aware of nothing – not even pain. Darkness encroached her vision but whether it was her drifting consciousness or the hand over her face, she had no idea.

She was pulled free, Weiss catching a vague sense of being lifted up and then coming back down. From what sounded like so far away, a buzzing sound was approaching, coming nearer and nearer, almost like it was coming right for her-

Danger!

It was instinct that maintained Weiss's grip on her rapier and it was instinct that drove her to put it between her and the incoming buzzing. A force hit it, the buzzing turning into a screech that stabbed deep into her brain. Weiss was aware of spinning, falling, and landing facedown against a hard surface.

She would've been more than satisfied with laying where she was, let the rest of her consciousness drift into oblivion, but that sharp sense of danger demanded that she get up. Her hands and legs slid against the floor, awkwardly trying to get beneath her but instead moving all over the place.

Weiss screamed as something grabbed her ponytail and yanked, lifting her head up. That splitting headache returned and the pain multiplied with each follicle that tugged against her scalp. Yet she still managed to make out a deep, menacing voice.

"We are _far_ from done."

* * *

With hands clasped over the folded umbrella held behind her back, Neo skipped over to the fallen girl with the golden hair. She bent over to get a closer look, her head cocking curiously, but smile unwavering.

How she had wanted to do this ever since she first laid eyes on her. Such a tall, strong girl with hair as fiery as her spirit. Standing so high amongst the wreckage of a great, mechanical foe, thinking herself unbeatable. Neo remembered the power and rage in her eyes – so quick to charge into the next fight. Acquire another victory.

So much for that.

There was a _snick_ and metal sliding against metal as Neo twisted and tugged the handle of her umbrella. Out from the shaft came a thin, edgeless blade – completely rounded save for the needle-like point revealed at the end when it cleared the makeshift sheath. The handle now acting as the hilt, Neo flipped it around in her hand to hold it in reverse.

She hoped that she wouldn't die too fast. She wanted to see that look in her eyes before she did: the wide-eyed realization that despite all the strength she possessed, it was all useless. Death would come, dragging her kicking and screaming, but Neo would see for herself when the life was stolen from those pair of lilacs after that brief struggle.

Neo raised the weapon, the tip aiming just offset from the center of the girl's chest. Just as she would see that life vanish right in front of her, she also wanted to feel it expire after that heart made those last few beats that would be transmitted through her blade from its place within it – the closest she would get to that organ being held right in the palm of her hand.

That smile twisted into a manic grin at the prospect. Wouldn't that be delicious?

As the muscles in her arm tensed, a different kind of pulse occurred within the train car. It extended throughout the available space, Neo keenly sensing how the air rippled like water from a thrown stone.

It was coming from behind her and she soon located the stone: a fluctuating gathering of red-and-black energy. Something was deposited from it and into the car, and it rushed right at her.

Neo barely caught the sight of a raven's head before she became more concerned with a red blade that sliced at her, the small girl barely having a mind to move away from it. It retreated, then returned, she using the time in between attacks to guard with her short blade. In spite of the block she was thrown off her feet and flung away from her prey.

She resettled clumsily, both halves of her umbrella coming up for a fight. When she got a good look at the intruder though, any notion of fighting fled from her in fright.

Most of what she saw was human. Black, thigh-length boots with red in a pattern akin to splattered blood were worn over slender legs, pale thighs visible between them and the short black skirt. What appeared to be woven feathers hung from the right portion of the skirt. A black shallow-cut dress clothed her, wrapped in a red girdle-belt with matching segmented gauntlets covering her forearms over long black gloves.

It was at her head that she became inhuman. Long feathered hair extended from her skull, falling to her waist, and the plumage was stained with that same red, blood-splattered appearance on the otherwise grayish-black feathers. As for the skull itself, it was that of a Nevermore or some other creature of Grimm. It had an angular appearance reminiscent of a bird, possessing the barest shape of a pointed beak.

There were four slits, housing two pairs of red eyes. The bottom pair looked vaguely human; crimson irises with black pupils at the center. The top pair, on the other hand, were of a darker red with pupils completely absent, the curved irises empty of intelligence but full of fury.

Neo was their sole focus. The human-Grimm hybrid had a sheath at her side, fingers of one hand curled around the lengthy hilt of the sword within. The other gripped at the handle at the back of the sheath and a clicking attracted Neo to the spinning multi-colored blades stored inside, viewable from a small window. The spinning ceased, and when the hybrid slid her sword out, it was with an impossibly long red blade – longer than the one she attacked Neo with and too long to have possibly been able to manage fitting in the sheath.

The end pointed directly at Neo who was too stricken to move, not only by what she was seeing but what she was sensing. The air had settled but did so with a viscous nature – sluggish and thick like liquid. She struggled to breathe and her body grew heavier. Where this creature stood, reality had become distorted and it pressed down on her. Suffocating her. Nearly driving her to her knees.

She couldn't fight _this_.

Neo's eyes were no longer brown or pink but the white of pure terror. Such intense fear actually became her strength to break free of this domination and come up with the only strategy that was feasible to her: run.

She leaped up, there was a flash of white, and she disappeared.

* * *

Yang slowly returned to consciousness, grimacing at the painful throbbing at her head. Even with it, her first instinct was to get back up on her feet, rolling onto her side and awkwardly pushing herself off the floor.

She was remotely aware of an odd feeling. There was a sound like air whistling within the car although she felt no wind. Instead, it was an odd rippling effect that may've been responsible for rousing her in the first place. She opened her eyes and then immediately had to blink in an attempt to clear her blurry vision.

She caught something and she tried to focus on it. A fluctuating portal of red and at the center was what looked like a black eye although she didn't trust her impaired senses on that.

Someone was walking towards it. A figure in red-and-black, with long hair that took the appearance of feathers.

Yang blinked, tried to focus, and the figure and the portal vanished.

 _Wha…?_ The brawler stared dully ahead, a hand unconsciously coming to rub at a lingering pain located at a cheek where she had been kicked. She shook her head, returned to staring, but neither the mysterious person or the portal made any kind of reappearance. She was completely alone in the train car.

 _I should…_ She took a hesitant step back, torn about what to do. _I should go._

She turned on her heel, paused long enough to throw one last look over her shoulder, and then she made her way out.

* * *

"You know we've really gotta stop meeting like this," Roman further taunted. "People are gonna talk."

Blake glared at the criminal, her lips pulling back into a quiet snarl full of teeth in utter loathing when she saw the man who she believed was responsible for all this. Putting the White Fang under his control, bringing them here, and doing so with the members having spun further down into the depths of madness through his orders. Whether he was the mastermind in all of this or not, that pompous smirk of his was all that Blake needed to see to know that he took pleasure in all that had happened.

Hatred ran hotly through her, his visage the center of her vision that was growing increasingly red. She didn't let it consume her, managing to keep the barest of wits about her.

She wouldn't let this be a repeat of the last time they fought against each other at the docks. During then, she had launched herself recklessly at him and she remembered how every fiber of her being demanded that she reduce him to a bleeding, whimpering mess. Only then would she have removed his revolting existence from the face of Remnant.

She had gotten lucky. With how long it's been since then, Blake was able to recognize that she had been the fortunate one to walk away from the docks alive that night. She had underestimated him, her violent attacks having nearly been her undoing. If Sun hadn't been with her to provide her with backup that night, Blake could only imagine what would've happened to her if she had been alone against Roman and the White Fang.

It was not the just the possibility of being killed that shook her when she thought back on it. If things had taken a different turn, if Blake _had_ managed to go through with killing Roman when she had been driven so much by her rage, she would've been lost but in a completely different way. To commit the kind of murder in the manner that had sorely tempted her, she would've fallen and risen back up as a monster that was no different from Adam.

She hated him. Never had she harbored such a thing for an individual but there was no denying it. She had wanted to meet him again like this. She had been looking forward to another chance to fight him. They've only crossed paths so few times but it was enough for Blake to develop this hatred on a man who not only embodied the worst that humanity had done to her race but of how he had managed to infect those who she once called friends.

But she wouldn't let it control her. She wouldn't throw away her second chance at doing good in this life for _him_. Not when she had another home to go back to with people who cared about her.

Drawing Gambol Shroud, Blake charged.

She wasn't alone in this fight either. As soon as her Aura encompassed her blade, she could feel the Dust that Weiss had given her react to it. Nature's Wrath ready to be used to carry out her own as long as she used the powers gifted to her wisely.

Roman had rushed forward to meet her in the middle, cane raised to strike as soon as she was close enough. Blake didn't lift her weapon to meet his. A head-on approach wasn't going to work against Roman, that much she learned from their last fight. She had to surprise him. Get him reeling and take him down hard before he could orientate and react.

Her Aura pulsed and she drew out the fiery power of the loaded Burn Dust. Blake rolled past Roman, leaving a clone in her wake.

It wasn't her usual clone. Instead of a shadow made into her likeness, what was left behind was her form made entirely out of flame. Roman was already in mid-swing and was too late to halt the attack, his cane touching the clone which exploded as soon as he made contact.

With a surprised yell he was thrown up into the air and Blake leaped up to intercept him, gripping her hilt in a heavy two-handed grip to batter at him with Gambol Shroud, beating her blade into him three times with the third smashing him back to the floor. She touched back down a second later, unsheathing her sword to wield it and the sheath in her dual-blade fashion.

When Roman rose back up, Blake felt satisfaction at seeing the angry look that he possessed. He pointed his cane at her and fired one of his sparkling red flares.

 _The same old tricks._ Blake flipped back, drawing on the more stable, solid power of another Dust crystal that created another clone – this one constructed of stone. The fiery projectile impacted and blew the entire torso off of the statue, the arms and legs shattering and littering the floor with dozens of pieces. They had yet to settle when Blake jumped high over the remains, on another direct course for Roman with blade coming down.

It was a feint. As soon as Roman swung at her, Blake used her shadow clone to pull away from it, the cane swinging uselessly at empty air while she crouched and pounced up from the floor, attacking with both her blades. The criminal was able to bring his cane back around, blocking the flurry of blows one after the other.

She wouldn't let it draw out and give him the advantage. As soon as he made his counterattack, Blake leapt back again with another activation of her Semblance and Roman's arm suddenly jerked to a halt when Melodic Cudgel became trapped inside of an ice sculpture of the cat faunus.

He was right where she wanted him. Jamming her sword back into its sheath, Blake raised her whole weapon above her head, the energy of her Aura extending out from her body, through her hands, and gathering into Gambol Shroud which she swung at Roman to create her strongest Aura Slash yet. The violet energies carved a line across the car on a direct course for the trapped criminal who was still trying to tug his cane free. It cut through the ice clone, shattering it, and bashed into Roman.

The momentum was enough that the automatic door was too late to open for Roman when he flew right into it, hitting and rebounding off it with him losing his grip on his weapon. While he toppled over onto his back, his cane bounced away, out of reach.

Unarmed and in such a compromising position. When Roman only got halfway to pushing himself up, Blake's foot stomped down onto his chest, getting him to wheeze when she put pressure down on her heel. She lowered her sword, the tip hovering right in between his eyes.

Roman was too busy coughing and gasping to reclaim his breath to take note of his position right away. When he did, he first looked cross-eyed at the swordtip and then switched to Blake herself, slowly holding out his arms in surrender. The faunus had to fight the urge to smirk triumphantly down at him, instead keeping her expression neutral.

Then he did something that she wasn't expecting. As soon as he caught his breath, Roman cleared his throat and asked, "Why are we fighting? I saw you at the rally. We're on the same side and you know it."

"The same side?" Blake growled, adding a bit more weight to her foot. "You've got to be joking."

Somehow Roman managed to grin, the gesture clearly strained with the increasing pressure against his chest but he pulled it off. "On the contrary, Blake Belladonna."

Blake stiffened.

Roman noticed it and his grin stretched a bit wider. "That's right; I know all about you, _Blake_. See, when someone manages to get in my way not once but twice, I tend to get a little curious, especially when they happen to mention having an acquaintance with this merry band of faunus that I'm leading. And, boy, did a few of them have _a lot_ to say about you."

Blake's fingers tightened around Gambol Shroud. "You have nothing to say that's worth hearing."

"Oh, come on. You're not the least bit curious about your old pals? Your chums? I mean from what I can gather, you left in a bit of a rush. Decided to leave right before they were to let you in on this scheme that we've got going on. Why, if you had simply waited, it may've been you that'd be helping me run things here. Would've saved me quite a few headaches to actually have someone as competent as you around, not to mention avoiding this current situation altogether."

Unconcerned about the blade that remained scant inches from his face, Roman tilted his head to better look past it and continue grinning up at Blake. "Not too late now, though. I believe spots have opened up thanks to you and your friends. Gonna need some replacements after this. Maybe your leaders might even look past your little mutiny considering the sudden demand. You can put me down as a reference – I promise I'll put in a good word in for you. The best employees to recruit are the ones that already know about the business, am I right?"

"You think I want any part of what you've been doing?"

Roman lifted a brow. "Don't you?" His arms – still held out in surrender – made some slight motions to draw Blake's attention to where they were. "Look around and see what I've done. I armed the White Fang and set them up for a perfect strike within the middle of the city. I mean, you've been there – you've seen the sad state that they were in; just lashing out randomly, committing what acts of murder they can. I can certainly understand why you left but what about now? Not regretting it just a little bit?"

"My only regret for leaving is that I wasn't there to stop you," she rebuked.

"You think that this is all just me?" He chuckled darkly, a sound that got Blake grinding her teeth. "I'm flattered, but this is much bigger than me. Even I don't know how far it goes and not from lack of trying to find out, mind you. Timing is everything and it just so happened to favor me so that I could be here. You think getting rid of me and even stopping this train will make any difference in the long run? This war – your 'revolution' – will be starting soon. Are you sure that you're on the right side?"

"My side isn't the one trying to use the Grimm to slaughter innocent people!"

"Ah." A hand bent to point a finger at her. "Can you really call it _your side_? If so, how long can you really hold up this little image that you've made for yourself? Tell me, how many people really know about the _real_ Blake, huh?" When he got no immediate answer he asked, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Blake's tongue was currently behind clenched teeth, pressing down so hard that there was a real threat of cracking one of them.

"How long can you really fight with them until they start seeing you and the White Fang as the same? How long before they throw you back out to the streets with no one to take you in? Hated by everyone. A real stray."

"You're going to stop talking." Blake lowered her blade, edging it towards his throat. "Right. Now."

The back of Roman's head bumped into the floor when he leaned away from Gambol Shroud but he was still grinning. "Still feisty. So…what are we gonna do now?"

 _Kill him,_ came the quiet, malicious command.

"Do you really think a little bow on top is going to make people forget what you were?"

Gambol Shroud shook, Blake not only biting down on her teeth but biting back again this building pressure within her that increased the more she stared down at him. That mocking smirk that she wanted to tear off his face.

"What you've _done_?"

And how she just wanted him to _shut. Up_.

A hissing broke Blake out of it and she dared to look over to see the door of the train car opening. Weiss came flying through limply, crashing and rolling a couple meters before coming to a stop. The White Fang lieutenant from before stalked in, chainsaw rumbling as he locked onto the defenseless heiress.

"So, what's it gonna be, _Blake_?"

She swung back to Roman's grinning face, sheathed her blade, and kicked him right across the face with enough force to get his head whamming into the floor. The unconsciousness that was the result only alleviated the pressure in her a little, there still being enough to suggest that she should make sure that he would never wake up again.

But Weiss's safety became paramount, Blake racing back and kneeling down next to her teammate, lifting and cradling her head to get a look. She was out cold.

The revving of the chainsaw made her aware of the lieutenant coming closer. She couldn't fight him, not with Weiss here and unable to defend herself. She had to try and outrun him and get to the front of the train. She quickly picked up Weiss, making sure to snatch Myrtenaster as well, and sprung away from the lieutenant and towards the other side of the car.

She had been hoping that he would give up on any kind of chase but she hadn't expected it to be so soon. Before Blake even reached the exit, she heard the revving of the chainsaw lessen…and then grow silent. Though knowing the risk of doing so, Blake couldn't help but slow down while she looked back…and then came to a stop.

The lieutenant stood, unmoving, his saw having lowered to the point that it was touching the floor. The only movement was his visible respiration that caused a lifting and recession of his massive form. He was making no effort to come after them.

"So," came a deep rumble, "it is true."

Blake remained where she was, Weiss in her arms and unable to think of what to say in reply. That was until he said something that chilled her to the bone.

"Adam's shadow."

It was a nickname, one that had been whispered amongst the ranks of the White Fang and something that couldn't escape from Blake's exceptional hearing. There were always whispers. Always words of admiration spoken when it came to Adam Taurus…and notes of bewilderment when it came to the cat faunus that was always at his side.

It was hearing it that compelled Blake to ask, "Who are you?"

She didn't recognize him, not that there were any recognizable features for her to pick up on. Still, had this been a faunus that she knew once?

"I have no reason to reveal my name to a traitor," he grumbled. "Especially not one who goes so far as to defend a _Schnee_."

"And what of you?" Blake immediately asked. If she was speaking with a White Fang member at all, then there were answers that she wanted, particularly for one thing. "You're leading Grimm into the city! How can you possibly justify that kind of madness?"

He took a menacing step towards her, one that echoed loudly within the enclosed car and the chainsaw rose off from the ground. "Do not speak to me of going _mad_!"

Blake had instantly tensed, ready to run, but the lieutenant did not break into a full-on pursuit. She could feel a great desire to do so, a killing intent that easily eclipsed her own that she had directed at Roman. Yet despite the extent of it, the faunus pulled back as if a mad dog that had just enough sense to relent to a leash that was tugged to keep him in place.

"How many faunus have been left to the Grimm?" he instead questioned. "Left to fend for themselves after being denied sanctuary within those human-run safe havens? This is all but a taste of what we go through every day – something which you should know just as well."

She did, Blake remembering how that life was like, both inside and out. Outside, there was the Grimm and every weapon and defense that they could create out of the wilderness that was the home of those monsters. Many a time, it proved to never be enough with so many mistakes made and so many lives lost and scars collected before someone could learn and adapt on how best to survive. However, survival was never a certainty even after that.

Then there was inside, where a faunus that managed to gain a share of the safety of the kingdoms or another well-delivered settlement. The dangers never stopped and the enemies never went away, instead replaced by the humans who wanted faunus out and, if they could not be persuaded, members would choose to intimidate and force them out.

"That doesn't justify anything!" Blake nonetheless argued. "Many of them are innocent – human _and_ faunus! Our own kind will be devoured along with the humans!"

"Innocent?" The lieutenant shook his head. "There is no such thing. What humans that do not murder us outright slowly do so with their ignorance. As for the faunus…they have no right to be called as such. Those who deserve to be called faunus are the ones who have chosen to fight and throw off the human yoke. For those who haven't and remain in the city…they do so with complacency that has been our undoing countless times throughout our history. We have chosen the side of our own, and as for them…they have chosen the side of the humans, even if they believe they haven't.

He motioned his saw towards Blake. "And then there is you, who deserves far worse. But I will not kill you, not even for the Schnee." There was a morbid tone of delight in his next words. "I am sure that Taurus would prefer to have you for himself. I want to see what happens when he gets to you. If you survive here."

The name, spoken so many times in such short order, loomed over Blake to the point that she had to fight the urge to look over her shoulder with the expectation that Adam was right behind her. "Where is he?"

"Closer than you think, and he has not forgotten about your betrayal."

This time Blake did look back, the urge becoming so powerful that she wasn't sure if the sensation of the familiar presence standing directly behind her was of her imagination or actually real. To her immense relief, there was nothing but the door to the next train car right behind her.

When she laid eyes back on the lieutenant, it was to see him stepping away. "You may leave. I have distracted you long enough. The train will reach its destination soon and you cannot stop it. There are no brakes, we have made sure of that, and it has been programmed to maintain its full speed once it's reached no matter what. It cannot be stopped – not this train and not our revolution. I would suggest that you-"

He was interrupted when the door opened up behind them and there came a shout. "GANGWAY!"

He whipped around and was greeted by a clothesline that delivered him to the floor, Yang not even breaking her stride as she ran past him.

"Got a train to stop!" Yang's eyes briefly met Blake's before she was also passing the faunus and running through the door. "Come on, Blake!"

"I- Yang!" Blake quickly spun and ran after the sprinting blonde, needing to tell her about what she just learned.

While struggling to catch up, there came movement in her arms as Weiss slowly came to, looking up at Blake with half-lidded eyes. "Blake?" She weakly searched around, spotting Myrtenaster clutched in her teammate's hand. "I guess I owe you one."

"Trust me, Weiss," Blake replied. "You don't owe me anything."

* * *

It had taken the entirety of Team RWBY to defeat one Paladin after a lengthy battle. There were key differences between now and then though. For one, the terrain was different. Rather than the urban streets and the open space beneath the highway, it was the top of a speeding train that was the current battleground. The restricted space and the battlesuit's bipedal design became a great weakness, it only taking an attack at the legs or a particularly strong blow to get it to lose its balance and there was no amount of skill that the pilots possessed to regain control before they would be falling off the side. Each and every one of the dozen or so Paladins that had been activated were defeated swiftly in that manner.

Then there was the other significant difference found here: Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck.

He, as Ruby found out, was more than enough to replace the three missing members of her team. With his torch and the Burn Dust that powered it, Oobleck had enough skill and control that had developed throughout his years of experience to harness and unleash the full might of Nature's Wrath in the form of destructive fire-based spells. The only other time that Ruby had seen such a master in action was Glynda Goodwitch and Oobleck had to at least be on par with her level.

Tsunamis of fire swept over the battlesuits, washing them off the train. Those same tendrils from before, still possessing the same strength and intensity as the first set, pummeled and bashed against them.

Then there was his speed, it being one of the rare times that Ruby could encounter someone who was as fast as her. Together, the two of them could quickly get into the blind spots of the Paladins and strike without fear of reprisal.

That was the case for the latest one who stood before the doctor with arms raised and metal fists clenched. It brought them slamming down but Oobleck had disappeared long before they descended. When the Paladin retracted its fists, its intended target had appeared on its back where the cooling vents were located.

Oobleck jammed the nozzle of his weapon into the vents and a blaze was instantly lit. The overheated Paladin – and most likely the pilot along with it – became inert. Jumping clear of the machine and returning to the train, Oobleck aimed his torch low, towards the legs.

Ruby already had Crescent Rose embedded and aimed at the same spot. When student and teacher fired, the sniper round and the fireball that were launched from opposing sides struck a leg, the dual impacts spinning and lifting the Paladin off its feet before it fell away, joining the many others that had been disposed of as it took a plunge off the train.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the last, and Ruby couldn't believe just how many there were when she looked back towards the rear of the train and saw at least two more coming up in an attempt to stop them.

Before she could engage these ones, a hand touched her and pulled her back. "Ruby, you go on ahead!"

"But…!" Ruby began, looking at Oobleck and then the approaching Paladins.

"Don't worry, Ruby!" Smiling assuredly, he quipped, "It's time I teach them a lesson!"

 _He's even replacing Yang!_ Ruby couldn't help but remark, watching his retreating back as he went headlong towards the approaching battlesuits. As much as she wanted to keep fighting at his side, she saw for herself that he would be able to handle it alone. _Besides, we really need to stop this train._

"Let's go, Zwei," Ruby said, waving her dog to follow her.

For as many times that he would obey her with happy barks, it wasn't so this time. Rather than follow her, the corgi remained where he was with a bowed head. When Ruby gave him a perplexed look, Zwei lifted his head enough to deliver a whimper along with a pleading stare.

It took a moment for Ruby to figure out what he wanted. She smiled softly. "Go."

Zwei's furry expression actually lit up and Ruby could make out the thanks in his excited yip before he went to follow Oobleck into battle.

_The pet of Hunters alright._

As much as the Paladins had tried to prevent them, Ruby and Oobleck had managed to make enough progress that the locomotive only had a few cars that separated it and Ruby. She immediately began crossing the remaining distance, hoping that when she got inside and to the controls, there would be a big red button with a very convenient _stop_ label on top, complete with capital letters and it being all in red.

Ruby leapt across from one car and onto another. Only two more jumps for two more cars and she would be right on top of the locomotive.

She didn't make the next jump before she halted, staring with shock at what was ahead. _Oh no!_

"Ruby!" The call came from Yang with her, Blake, and Weiss climbing out from the car that she just leapt from. Upon sighting Ruby, she immediately started informing her with, "We're not going to be able to stop it with the controls! We're going to need to find another way!"

Ruby would've been happier to see her team alive and well if not for what she pointed at. "We're too late!"

In visual range and coming closer at top-speed were a pair of huge doors that were sealed shut directly ahead of them. Ruby knew the end of the line when she saw it and so too did her team when they regrouped around her and saw it.

"What do we do?" Blake asked.

Ruby glanced over to Weiss and found her partner having done the same to her. This close, the young leader could see that Weiss was sporting a few bruises of her own but a knowing grin managed to break through them all the same. She nodded and Ruby returned it.

Weiss raised and then stabbed Myrtenaster into the roof of the train. Ice immediately blossomed around Team RWBY, creating a barrier that surrounded the four members.

It finished just as impact was made.

* * *

Ruby awoke to the sound of sirens and found herself staring at a pink morning sky. It was only the pain that throbbed throughout her entire body that told her that she was alive though and not having died and gone to some otherworldly plane for the dead.

What became her immediate concern was to see if the same could be said about the rest of her team. Nearby coughing attracted her attention and she saw Yang hunched over amid the settling dust, Blake slowly raising herself from the ground and holding her head next to her.

 _Weiss?_ Swiveling to the other side, Ruby saw her partner sitting back against a jutting piece of debris. What fears came to mind were put to rest when Weiss moved. Their gazes met again and Weiss threw in a shaky thumbs-up to go with her weak smile to show that she was alive.

Her team accounted for, Ruby tried to take stock of their situation and she hissed at the pain that was incited when she moved. Fighting through it, Ruby scanned around. She saw parts of the train – the locomotive that they had tried so hard to reach, turned over on its side, along with the cars still attached. The rest of it was still underground, through the hole that had broken through.

As to what it had broken through to, Ruby found the answer soon enough. Her vision was partially obscured by a pair of trees but she saw the buildings that were beyond the range of the small park and the stage that was at the center. Her initial thought was that they had somehow returned to the surface of Mountain Glenn until she realized that these buildings were intact and well-maintained.

There were also people. Those out on the streets who were now crowding around the scene and Ruby could make out their surprise and confusion at the train that had just appeared. Right in the middle of-

The central plaza of Vale.

The amount of horror was more than enough to get Ruby fully awake and ignore all of her body's complaints when she sat up straight. She opened her mouth, about to scream her warning until the earth shook.

Something exploded out from the giant hole, pushing aside debris and train cars as it shot up towards the sky. It stretched beyond the heights of the nearest buildings before it ceased and bent, better casting its shadow over Team RWBY and the surrounding pedestrians.

Red orbs shifted beneath the bone mask. A forked tongue flicked out, sampling and detecting the abundance of prey that was all around it. The discovery had the King Taijitu lifting its head and broadcasting its findings with a loud roar.

It inspired the rest to break through, issuing their own calls once they passed through the breach. The shadow of the serpent – as black as the night – grew and expanded, stretching across the plaza. A blight that had been set upon the city and was wasting no time in spreading.

And where it went, screams followed.


	12. Breach

Upon a short bedside table, a scroll came to life, the activated screen providing a pinpoint of light in the darkness. Soon, a techno tune cut through the silence.

_"Ursa, Ursa~_

_Ursa, Ursa, U-ursa~"_

The snores of the occupant of the bed broke off with a snort and Jaune rolled over, blinking and rubbing at the sleep from his eyes to squint at the brightness. He fumbled for the device, somehow managing to get a grip on the thin frame before his thumb tapped against the screen, putting an end to the ringtone. He held it to his ear and groggily answered, "Hello- gah!"

A blast of static got him the rest of the way awake as he jerked the scroll away from his ear. He flipped it around, still adjusting to the brightness as he tried to make out the identity of the caller.

_[Ruby Rose]_

His friend's portrait hovered over her name, Jaune able to make out the smile on the young Rose's face before he noticed the indication of the call suddenly ending after only a few seconds.

"Ruby?" The continued darkness of his team's room should've made it obvious but Jaune tapped on his scroll to be sure as the electronic display for the clock came up. _Why's she calling at this hour?_

After some deliberation, Jaune attempted to call her back. He didn't even get through before the notification came up to show a failure to connect.

He again viewed his scroll, this time with a frown. He was awake enough at this point to remember that Ruby and her team should be out on their mission at this point. Why was she trying to contact him?

Had they possibly ran into trouble?

To soothe his own conscience, Jaune tried one more time to contact Ruby…and again when that proved to be a failure. Still nothing. Doing so with any of the other members of Team RWBY was met with the same results.

Technical trouble? They had all been warned previously that their missions could send them out into areas where reception wouldn't be that great, leaving them out of contact with the school until they could establish a proper signal. Those instances should be limited for the first-years at least, and they had the added protection of veteran Hunters to boot.

With some reluctance, Jaune placed his scroll back on the table. When a minute passed on by and it didn't ring, he rolled over to put his back to it. _They're probably fine._

The nagging feeling that had developed kept him awake and refused to go away. He shifted restlessly, occasionally glancing back at the inert scroll to no effect. Trying to convince himself that no more calls meant that they weren't desperately in need of help proved to be useless.

 _They're fine._ He dropped his head onto his pillow, focusing on his need for sleep. _We're going on our own mission and I can catch one last wink of sleep before-_

There came a sudden, excited 'whoop!' that he knew too well. There was the loud sound of feet landing hard on the floor, followed by the quick footwork that was aimed towards the window, and the early light of dawn spilled into the room.

"Iiiiiiit'ssss morning!" came Nora's happy call.

Jaune groaned into his pillow.

With the Nora-alarm at its loudest setting, there was no reprieve for any of JNPR, especially when the girl bounced towards each of their bunks, excitedly shaking each one awake while singing, "It's mission day~ Get up get up because it's mission day~"

Any attempts to tune her out were met with more shaking and more lyrics. Unlike scroll alarms, there was no off button for Nora.

The mission that they had selected was to begin earlier than most for today. After they showered and dressed, they made their way to the cafeteria for a quick breakfast, it being emptier than usual at this hour but the staff were up and Nora still got her pancakes much to her delight.

Despite their need to get ready though, Ruby's call stayed at the back of Jaune's mind, leading him to poking at his waffles with a fork, his appetite not with him today. His scroll weighed heavily in his pocket but no matter how much he wished it to, it didn't vibrate or notify him in any way about an incoming call. When JNPR eventually dumped their scraps and piled up their dirty trays, he couldn't help but pull out his scroll and check on the off chance that he somehow missed the signs of a new message.

"Jaune, what's wrong?" Pyrrha asked, his second having been throwing looks his way but only now choosing to vocalize the worry in them.

"I got a call from Ruby," he revealed, shoving his scroll back into its resting place.

"Is everything okay?"

"I don't know." They had left the cafeteria behind at this point, his team taking a path to the airpads where their designated Bullhead rested. "I lost the signal as soon as I saw it was her. You think that she might be in trouble or something?"

Pyrrha tilted her head in thought. "This was when?"

"Some time before we all woke up." Well, before Nora woke everyone else up to be precise.

"She could've been calling to say how their mission was going," she suggested.

"At that hour?" Jaune wondered but found some merit in it. Him and Ruby were alike in certain regards, mostly when it came to living their dreams as Huntsman and Huntress. If he had been put in her place – him being the one to have awoken from his first day on a mission while she was the one at Beacon sleeping -, he would be just as eager as she would to call and make a report no matter the hour, confident that she would love to hear every single detail. "I mean, yeah, I guess she could've but…"

"I'm sure they're fine."

"You think?"

"Probably a butt dial!" Nora chimed in, skipping her way to the airship.

"Team RWBY has always performed exceptionally in the field," Ren added at their rear. "We should be focusing on our own mission."

"We're going to be deputies!" his partner cheered.

None of them sounded worried and Jaune tried to take some reassurance in that to quell his worries. _Maybe it's just all the Spruce Willis movies…_

JNPR had gone on a marathon last night to commemorate their upcoming mission, influenced by the latest film to be released featuring his favorite action star. Quite a number of them involved the protagonist making a call to some other character, only to be cut off which turned out to be a sign of big trouble that was right around the corner.

 _Movie tropes,_ he tried to explain away. _That's all._ Instead of those, he followed Ren's advice to focus on their mission. _Maybe we'll get deputy badges. Junior detectives are overrated anyway._

The imagery of a badge polished to a sparkle pinned to the right spot next to his chestplate didn't last as long as he would've liked. "I've just got this feeling…I don't know."

Pyrrha stopped when he did, examining him worriedly. "Jaune…"

If she was going to say anything else, she was interrupted when they all heard a distant siren. Jaune looked up towards Vale that lay at the horizon, and that bad feeling he had been having all morning got significantly worse when he saw the large plume of smoke that was issuing from the center of the city.

A second siren joined the first, this one much louder and much closer as it was coming from Beacon. Nora threw her hands over her ears and grimaced upon encountering something that was louder than she was.

"We're changing the mission!" Jaune made sure to shout so that they could hear him and waved towards the Bullhead. "Everyone on board!"

He got to the boarding ramp but didn't enter right away, instead waiting and making sure that his team all got in first. After Pyrrha and Nora entered, Jaune stuck out a hand to stop Ren. "Ren, we'll make it out to that village another time."

The stoic boy nodded in understanding, knowing that this unexpected change in circumstances took priority. Jaune hadn't gotten the full story, but the reason that JNPR selected their specific mission for that specific village was at the insistence of Ren and Nora. He had been holding his questions for when they actually got there, but Jaune had picked up enough to know that it was important to them.

His hand fell away, clearing the way for Ren to disappear inside the Bullhead. Only then did Jaune enter, running up to the cockpit where the pilot and co-pilot waited for an order that he was quick to give.

"Take us into the city!"

* * *

A powdered doughnut hung from Sun's tail, the monkey faunus nibbling off the rest of it before washing it down with a gulp of coffee. He still wasn't done though as, after licking his lip, he licked off some of the powdered residue from the fur of his tail.

"Dude, that's gross," Neptune complained next to him, the display making his glazed doughnut unappetizing.

"What?" Sun shrugged. "It's like licking it off from a moustache."

"Yeah, but people shave those." There was a pause as an idea came to Neptune. "Hey, you know what-?"

"I'm not shaving my tail, Nep."

The ungodly hour that they were forced to wake up from had bred second thoughts about Team SSSN's selection of assignments, the sun having yet to rise by the time they had gotten to the airship and made the journey into Vale – a trip which they couldn't remember in their half-asleep state. The two crime specialists that they met up with had been waiting for them at the skyport, Sage and Scarlet going with one while Sun and Neptune went with the other. The arrangement, as was explained to them later, was that the whole sleuthing and detective stuff would be a little awkward if you had everyone together in one giant group.

The detective that they went with had turned out to be a pretty cool guy. As soon as Sun and Neptune had gotten in the back of the unmarked car, the detective at the wheel had turned around to face them, taking a particular interest in Sun. "You know, some time ago I remember hearing about a faunus stowing away on a freighter and giving a couple our guys quite the chase around the city. Monkey faunus, with blond hair and a tail."

"Oh, really?" Neptune had questioned in his best nonchalant manner possible. "Strange coincidence, that."

"Yeah," Sun replied in the same way. "Coincidence."

"Coincidence, yeah," the detective echoed. "Style of dress was described as a white open shirt, blue pants, and red bracers."

"Uh…a very big coincidence?" Sun suggested, growing increasingly uneasy while Neptune silently cursed at his partner. They're supposed to be spending a few days on an assignment with a detective of the VPD and he never thought that he _might_ be recognized for his stunt no matter how much time had passed?

The detective was still staring at them with a lifted brow.

"Is this going to be a problem?" Neptune questioned, discreetly checking to make sure that the doors hadn't been locked. They _were_ in the back of a cop's car.

"A problem?" The detective barked out a laugh. "Hardly! Burnie and Joel? Assholes, the both of them. We're still not letting them hear the end of it!" He faced forward again. "Come on, I'll treat you boys to breakfast."

The two partners glanced at each other, Sun eventually grinning and giving a thumbs-up in open approval. Vale had just gone up another notch in their books.

That was how they ended up in this doughnut shop, one favored by VPD personnel, so they were told, for their free coffee and refills with the purchase of discounted doughnuts for cops. After Sun and Neptune flashed their junior detective badges, the deal became extended to them. Ending up eating at some new food joint was becoming a trend that they were really starting to enjoy.

Neptune was admiring the shiny bronze of that sleek badge when a sudden quake had it and the entire shop shake, the badge jumping on the counter but remaining on top. The plates that he heard breaking told him that the same luck didn't apply to others and he actually caught sight of one waitress who tripped and fell, shattering a hot pot of coffee upon a table which spilled on a couple patrons who yelped and jumped from their seats.

"What was-?" Sun started to question before a loud siren began to sound throughout the city. It caught everyone else's attention, customers immediately peering out the windows or leaping from their seats to run out of the shop to see what the commotion was about.

The Huntsmen-in-training watched it all go down…and then slowly gave each other looks of suspicion. It was Neptune who said, "I'm going to give you three guesses as to who could possibly be involved in that."

Sun was already grabbing his own badge with his hand while his tail scooped up Neptune's and deposited it on his partner's lap. "I don't need to be a nerd to only need one."

Together they rushed out the door and saw people already looking and pointing to something in the distance. What they found was a thick cloud of smoke to their west, reaching up high into the clouds.

"That does tend to be RWBY's calling card," Sun mentioned.

"Boys!"

The call brought them to the detective standing next to the open driver door of his car, waving frantically to the two of them.

"Shotgun," Sun spoke first.

"Shot- dammit!" Neptune cursed.

With a merry laugh, Sun ran over and dove into the front passenger seat. After a brief moment, his tail stuck out, clutching a signal light which he adhered to the roof of the car. It immediately began flashing red.

 _That's just awesome,_ Neptune couldn't help but comment before getting in the back.

* * *

"Temperature at sixty-six degrees," the voice from the android's speaker unit informed. It was an odd mix – deep and authoritative, but tinged with a nasal overtone that was nonetheless meant to sound what Cardin could only assume to be friendly. "Winds north-northeast at five to ten miles per hour. A beautiful morning with sunrise at six-fifty AM."

"If I wanted details on the weather, I would've looked it up," Cardin returned gruffly. "Are you a combat android or a weatherman?"

"This unit can serve a variety of functions," the android informed, immune to the leader's aggravation. "While my primary is for combat, my sensor package is optimally capable of collecting data on environmental conditions for battlefield analysis or otherwise." A moment of silence, then, "A beautiful morning, isn't it?"

Cardin quietly grumbled, wondering if he could get away with a slight push that would have the android falling from the fifty meter height from the top of the wall to the ground below.

When CRDL had selected Perimeter Defense, no one had thought to mention that they would be having company. It was only when they had been delivered to the southern wall that an engineer had approached them with a troupe of newly-minted AK-200 androids. Other than watching over the perimeter while engineers examined and fixed any deficiencies on the wall, an added assignment was for the members of CRDL to watch over and critique on the androids.

At three of the four directions of the kingdom of Vale, there were the natural barriers that were key to its existence. The oceans to the west, the mountains to the north, and a mix of both that partially covered the east until one ventured more into the south. This was where the southern wall came in: high and solid enough to deter the largest known specimen of the Grimm while bristling with hidden weapon emplacements and other defenses.

It was the only direction that the Grimm could hope to attack Vale from so, logically, no expense was considered too great to make sure that they would never be able to breach it. Constant reinforcements were made, from the materials used in its construction to the weapons that could activate at a moment's notice – from artillery pieces both on and behind the wall to lob explosive munitions to Dust-powered cannons. A wide stretch of no man's land had been cleared between the wall of human civilization and the forest of the Grimm beyond, leaving any approaching monsters to be completely exposed to the fire that would come their way if they dared to trespass…and managed to get through the minefield.

This included robotic sentinels. Until recently, the AK-130 androids had been the mainstay that would be stored within out-of-sight bays. That job, as it turned out, had been handed over to the 200s.

For all that the Atlesians had done to make their androids 'friendlier', Cardin was mildly surprised that they hadn't included digital faces on their visors. Since conversing with his assigned android – designated B-141 -, he half-expected some dumb emoticon to appear on the plain black expanse at its head. More annoying than fearsome and Cardin was regretting this whole thing.

Now, one may wonder as to why Cardin Winchester chose this rather boring mission – if one could really call it a 'mission' – in favor of the others. To put it simply, the leader had gotten tired of getting his butt thoroughly handed to him.

This was not strictly speaking of his team's latest defeat in the sparring arena to one Pyrrha Nikos. This included another little incident that had occurred around the end of first semester.

_"So, you're Cardin Winchester," a steely voice accused._

_There was no point in showing defiance, not in the position that Cardin was in and he didn't even try. He was down on his knees, brought to that position by the mountain of a man that had gripped him by the shoulder and pushed him down. It was the first in a long, long time that Cardin had felt so diminutive and it didn't help that he could sense the giant's presence standing behind him even if he hadn't said a word or made any kind of motion since then._

_Before him, seated atop the desk of the lecture hall that he had been ambushed and pushed into, was a girl. Not just any girl, something which he had been enlightened to shortly after his capture. She sat there with one leg crossed over the other, a slight tilt at her head as she examined him. The black shades hid her eyes and her lips were smoothed over in a line, but there was no mistaking the utter contempt that exuded from her._

_She was taller than most girls but nothing in comparison to Cardin if he was standing. Nonetheless, she carried herself with such a presence that made it more than just her positioning that cowed Cardin into obeying the quiet order that he was not to move or even speak unless she allowed it. She didn't need her friend with the freaky eyes to make the situation any more frightening, the white-eyed boy standing dutifully next to her and staring straight ahead._

_"I've heard quite a bit about you," she continued. "A bit late, I'm afraid, which is most unfortunate. For you."_

_Cardin swallowed thickly, unable to speak. The silence that followed was oppressive and his heart jumped when she uncrossed and crossed her legs again, this time setting her elbow on top and resting her chin in her palm. Those black lenses never strayed from him and the disdain didn't so much as lessen._

_"You don't seem like a particularly smart boy – a given, considering where we are right now -, but I think even you have realized at this point as to why you're here. This concerns a certain teammate of ours: Velvet Scarlatina." Leather-clad fingers drummed against her cheek. "I'm sure that you've picked up at least her name with how long you've been…_ acquainted _with her."_

_Another round of silence, and Cardin could feel the blood draining from his face._

_"I thought so. See, here's the problem that we have here, Cardin. We of CFVY have a rule that we expect others to follow." Her lip curled menacingly. "Don't. Touch. The bunny."_

_How she snapped off each part with building tension had Cardin desperately trying to defend himself as he shouted, "I didn't know!"_

_Coco frowned at him, the drumming ceasing. Her hand moved, fingers pinching at the bridge of those glasses in order to pull them down. Hard brown eyes glared down at him, and Cardin preferred them having been hidden. Exposed, he could get a better measure of the scorn that they had been suppressing while they inspected him. The amount had him shaking._

_Coco pushed her shades back up, hiding them again to his immense relief. "I believe you. You're a first-year after all, so you probably didn't know. And Velvet is just too kindhearted for her own good to mention anything to us or you."_

_Cardin nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes!" He may just get out of this alive._

_"Unfortunately, ignorance won't save you."_

_That building hope was viciously trampled. Next to Coco, Fox stared directly down at Cardin, those white eyes boring into him. A vicious grin split across his features, the white of his teeth standing out just as jarringly as his eyes against his dark skin._

_"Oh, don't worry," Coco assured with a similar expression. "Messengers tell a better tale when they're alive. Thank you for volunteering to deliver this one." Her chin rose a fraction in order to look above him. "Yatsuhashi."_

_That big, heavy hand fell and seized Cardin by the shoulder._

_"Let's make sure that we send this one off with a message that his fellow first-years will never forget."_

Between the Ursa, Nikos, and that incident that ended with students finding him babbling incoherently within the middle of Beacon's courtyard in nothing but his underwear the next morning, Cardin was ready to take it easy. Slink away from the attention of his fellow students for a while and attempt to start fresh.

"Alert: Grimm detected!" B-141 brought a hand behind its back, retrieving the rifle clamped there and pointed it out from the wall. "Remain calm and please seek shelter!"

"What?" Cardin stared at the Atlesian Knight and then where it was pointing its weapon. "Where?"

"Warning: Grimm in the area!" The android remained in its combat stance but its speaker continued blasting its announcement. "Threat at approximately five hundred yards! Remain calm and seek shelter!"

Five hundred yards. During the ramblings of the engineer while giving CRDL a tour of the wall, Cardin thought he remembered that distance being spouted out as what was between the wall and the forest. He scanned along the edge of the forest, staring hard as he tried to locate this Grimm.

It took a few seconds – filled with 141's repeats of 'Grimm detected!' – but Cardin was able to pick out a black silhouette that stood out from the forest's greens and browns. Lanky in appearance, and it slowly prowled along the edge. A Beowolf? Hard to tell at this distance, but there seemed to only be one.

They had been informed that sightings of Grimm remained common. It had been decades since any major presence had been seen but there were still the spotting of loners that would either disappear and never be seen again or return with their pack and sniff around the perimeter. Attempted incursions were uncommon if not rare and never to such a degree that any of the emplacements needed to fire a shot. Either a Grimm triggering a mine or a deployment of androids would be enough to vanquish them or at least turn them away.

They consisted of very low-tier Grimm though. Beowolves, Ursai, and Boarbatusks that were still too curious for their own good and hadn't wizened up like their more experienced variants.

That didn't stop 141. "Grimm detected! Remain calm and seek shelter!"

"Oh, shut up," Cardin spoke angrily. "It's just one."

"Grimm detected! Remain calm and seek shelter!"

"Yo, Cardin, what's up?" came Russel, his teammate arriving with his own Knight. "Bucket here said that there was a threat detected and had me come over."

"Bucket? You _named_ yours?"

Russel shrugged. "Better than B-143. B for Bucket."

"Grimm detected!" Bucket announced, grabbing its own rifle. "Remain calm and seek shelter!"

"Great, now they're both doing it," Cardin griped, feeling a headache coming on as he rubbed his temple. "Are we going to have to listen to this every time a single one comes alo-?"

The quake was enough that, even so high up, Cardin and Ruseel felt a noticeable shudder of the wall. They heard the siren first, which led them to seeing the smoke that began to rise somewhere from within the city.

" _Now_ what's going on?"

"Grimm detected!" the two androids announced in unison.

"Alright, look!" Cardin whirled around on the two. "We get it! There's a Grimm-"

There was more than one. Instead of a single black silhouette, there was now an irregular line that was formed along the edge of the forest. And it _moved_ , a collection of black fur broken by white bone spikes that rose and fell like a tide as they shifted.

That was until it swept in. Out from the forest they came, charging through the plane. Soon, Cardin could see that there were Beowolves while the thick bodies of some Ursai lumbered amongst them.

"What's got them so excited?" Russel asked, viewing the approaching Grimm with bewilderment.

"Who cares?" Cardin retrieved his mace and directed it towards a nearby deployment elevator. "We're going to down there!"

"Wait, _we_?"

"There's not that many of them! Get Dove and Sky on the line and tell them to meet us down there! We're going to do some actual hunting for once!" With that, Cardin began bounding towards the elevator, Russel hesitantly following him while fumbling for his scroll.

"What about them?" Russel asked, one hand holding his scroll to his ear, the other pointing towards the androids.

"Grimm detected!"

"Who cares?" Cardin waited and then slammed the steel gate of the elevator down once Russel was through. "They can keep going until their batteries run out."

The brutish leader slammed his fist on the control panel and the elevator began to descend down the length of the wall and towards the ground. For quick deployment, the elevators had been built outside the walls to deposit the defenders while the main gates were sealed with reinforced doors. Halfway down, a different noise managed to be heard over the sirens. Thudding explosions, one followed by another, and when Cardin reexamined the charging Grimm it was to see a flash of light and fire blossom within the first ranks, tossing Grimm – or rather, Grimm body parts – up into the air.

"Tell whoever's in charge to turn off the mines," Cardin ordered next when Russel was about to put his scroll away. Another elevator nearby was also dropping down, containing the other half of CRDL.

"You want me to do _what_?"

"Turn off the mines!" He waved his mace threateningly at his much smaller teammate. "We'll be able to handle this perfectly fine! I'm not going to have machines do our job!"

The stringy Thrush hastily obeyed beneath the threat, not that Cardin expected anything less. When the going got tough, they always needed a good punt to get them along. That was always how it's been – from when they got lumped together during initiation to that fated trip at Forever Fall. _Especially_ because of Forever Fall, when Jaune Arc had shown them all up. The abandonment from his team and what came afterwards was an event that he would always despise for the rest of his life.

"They're turning them off now," Russel reported soon after, the detonations coming to an abrupt halt. "They get too close though, and the outer perimeter will come back on and they'll activate the cannons."

"We won't need 'em," Cardin dismissed.

Russel looked at him uneasily. "Cardin, man, you sure about this? The defenses probably could've handled them fine without us. Could've just stayed up on the wall and watched the show."

"Oh, I'm sure you would've been happy with that, Thrush. Get as far away from the Grimm as possible. Hide and let someone else do all the work for you."

"I didn't mean it like tha-"

"Of course you did!" Cardin thrust the head of his mace, stopping short of striking Russel. "I'm sick and tired of our team being seen as scared weaklings! Arc, Nikos, CFVY – they've walked all over us. I refuse to let such mindless animals do the same. Not again. Not if I can help it. We're doing this, even if I have to throw you off this elevator and land right in the middle of them!"

There was no room for argument and Russel didn't dare try. Instead, he unsheathed his daggers and began inspecting the revolving cylinders built in each to make sure they were full on Dust.

They rode the rest of the way down in uneasy silence, Cardin trading the sight of his cowardly teammate for the mass of black that was coming towards them. As he saw from the wall and reaffirmed now, the group wasn't that big. He and his team could easily take care of it.

The elevator came to a rest and the door slid up, Cardin being the first out. Nearby, Dove and Sky were leaving theirs and coming to join them.

As well as some others, one of the AK-200s suddenly slamming down next to CRDL, quickly followed by a couple more. Cardin looked at them with a hint of shock and, to confirm what he thought just happened, he looked back up the full height of the wall. Apparently his idea to push one off the wall wouldn't have done much, going by another pair of androids that jumped off and came down for a hard landing. They all had their rifles out, all pointing towards the incoming Grimm.

 _I'm not letting them take all the credit!_ Cardin seethed. He held up his mace and waved it towards the Grimm. "CRDL, let's do this!"

Without another word, he ran forward, his teammates hesitating only for the amount of time necessary to understand what would happen if they didn't follow his order before racing to catch up. To Cardin's satisfaction, they were already far ahead of the AK-200s by the time the machines started moving to engage with them.

It didn't take long for Cardin to get close enough that he was able to make out the individual features of the Grimm that formed this band. As he suspected, mostly Beowolves but there were a few Ursai in the mix. And Boarbatusks, two of them suddenly speeding ahead of their brethren, their bodies contorted into rolling balls.

Cardin raised his mace, his Aura focusing towards the head, and swung it down. A shockwave produced from the striking of the ground was blasted ahead to meet the Boarbatusks, hitting and then sending them flying up, the swine uncurling from the balls to thrash wildly in the air, their squeals interrupted when they dropped back down. Dove and Russel each took a pig, the former's sword stabbing deep into the belly of one while the latter's dagger disemboweled the other.

The big leader continued on until he met contact with the first rank of the Grimm. His mace swung left and right, catching a Beowolf at each in their sides and flinging them away, before bringing it back up for an overhead swing that crushed the skull of an Ursa.

Sky joined in second, halberd sweeping the feet out from under another pair of Beowolves before the curved axehead came down to cleave through both of the fallen lycanthropes. Finished with the Boarbatusks, Dove and Russel entered the fray. For previously being labeled as a coward, Russel seemed eager to join now that battle was underway, throwing a dagger into the throat of a Beowolf. While it collapsed, he reached and pulled the dagger free before targeting an Ursa. His blades being empowered with some Burn Dust, he performed one of his aerial somersaults, coming right at the Ursa's chest where his daggers cut several lines deep into the muscles, the heat of Nature's Wrath giving them a cauterizing effect.

Dove moved with an impressive display of acrobatics, ducking under the paw of an attacking Beowolf and flipping over a charging Boarbatusk. He pointed his sword at the Beowolf he passed, firing the built-in gun to deliver some slugs that buried into its hide before he pivoted on his feet and cut down another with his blade.

Cardin silently declared that this was how it was meant to be. To have his team unleash their might on these animals and to be commended for their prowess in combat. To not be a laughing stock at Beacon. The efforts of his subordinates spurring him on, Cardin turned to smash some more skulls.

That was when he saw over the rest of its kind, it was an Ursa of impressive size with a field of bony spines protruding from its back. It singled out Cardin and the bear-like beast roared in challenge.

It was an Ursa Major.

Cardin found himself flashing back to months ago. Instead of the green fields that were around them, he was instead lying in the reds of Forever Fall. Weaponless, defenseless, and completely at the mercy of a Major just like this one.

He felt the fear then – the helplessness – and he felt it now at being in the presence of this monstrous foe.

But it didn't paralyze him – it didn't even get the chance to. For as soon as he felt his muscles begin to experience the numbness that would have him cowering beneath it, Cardin remembered everything that occurred after that day at Forever Fall. The shame. The humiliation. And a great and powerful rage that desired to rectify how his team became known as such a cowardly bunch.

It was that rage he directed at the Major and he answered its challenge with a battle cry of his own.

Outraged at his gall, the Major eagerly met him. Lifting high onto its back legs, the Major swung one of its enormous paws, tipped with its two-foot claws, right at the leader.

 _Not this time!_ Remembering how such an attack had disarmed him, Cardin made sure to inform this one that it would not happen twice. It wanted his weapon? It could have it!

His mace collided with the incoming paw, and it was the Ursa that became bereft of one of its weapons when its bones splintered against the weight of the mace, three of its claws breaking free. The howl of rage that the Ursa had sounded became one of agony.

Cardin pressed his advantage. Ducking beneath its defenses, he swung hard at its midsection, what had to be its ribs being next to be pulverized by the mace. The howl became a choked wheeze, the Major hunching over, and he dashed past it and whirled around to hit it again, this time in the back.

Against his weapon, even the spines stood no chance, the solid head breaking through and Cardin dared to believe he broke its spine. If the first blow didn't, then the second one he followed up with definitely had to.

It was the Major that was powerless this time, and Cardin took immense pleasure from it. Against the devastating blows, the beast had fallen completely onto its stomach, unable to move its broken body. The weak cry that it uttered Cardin was sure was one that begged for mercy.

He gave it what it asked for – one last swing of his mace that crushed its skull.

As he stood over his conquest, he saw that his team was mopping up the last of the Grimm. By then the AK-200s arrived, firing with their rifles, but what they ended up shooting and finishing off were the mere scraps that his team had deigned to leave them.

Planting his mace into the ground, Cardin could see it in the faces of his subordinates when he looked upon them. The looks of success and boosted confidence. This was how it was supposed to be!

This, he was sure, was the turning point for Team CRDL.

"Grimm detected!"

Cardin whipped around towards the androids, the entire lot having shouted it all at once. Their visors stared at a point past him, their weapons raised. He turned around to see just what it is they saw.

It was the Nevermores that came first. A small flock, not much of a threat – until, with a beat of its great wingspan, one that was ten times their size flew out from the forest, partially blanketing the prematurely-declared victors in its shadow. A Giant Nevermore.

"Grimm detected!"

Having drawn closer to the forest, Cardin was able to see another Ursa Major trudge out towards the edge, knocking over a tree while it do so. At each of its side, a few Minors accompanied it. Not too far away, off to its right, was a new pack of Beowolves, this time with an Alpha at the head. Then there were the Boarbatusks, the Creeps…

And way behind their lines, there was the loud trumpet of a distant Goliath.

Next to Cardin, Russel quietly spoke, "That's a big…everything."

* * *

What had once been a door came crashing inwards, now hardly anything more than a pile of splinters. The large bulk of an Ursa lumbered on in soon after, not quite fitting through the frame which was forced to bend and give way against the beast. With one last push it forced its way into the shop, the few spikes that were on its back scraping along the low ceiling.

Outside, the chaos went on. Terrified screams which were answered with inhuman howls and a second Ursa stuck its head through the widened entryway, catching the same scent that the first did and what had led it here.

Every Grimm had been incited into a frenzy once they passed through the breach. Having been denied access into Vale for so long, left to wander in the wilderness to prey on what scraps they could locate, getting into the heart of human civilization had driven them into such a state of fury when they became assaulted with the urban landscape, the jumble of scents that tainted the air, the abundance of prey – and the fear. Everything that was attributed to their most hated enemy.

It was the fear that the Ursa could practically taste. While its unholy kin continued their rampage, chasing after the prey that fled from them, it had picked up on an opportunity that convinced it to stray from the rest. Its head swung left and right, seeking for a source amongst the shelves and other displays filled with wares. It sniffed at an array of colorful fabrics on one shelf and a slight bump was enough to send one display tipping and scattering beads across the floor.

In between the noise of the display shattering and the beads rolling, the Ursa picked up another sound that had it swinging around. The half-choked whimper was a sound that it instinctively recognized as belonging to potential quarry. With a couple ungainly steps, the Ursa reached a counter, clawed paws gripping the edge, and it hoisted itself just enough to look over the other side.

The mother had been clutching a small bundle against her chest from which the whimper came from. Pressed against her side and attempting to hide their face was a young girl. They shared identical traits, particularly the ears that were just as red and just as _woolen_ as their hair. When the Ursa's hideous visage came into sight, the daughter screamed while the mother was petrified with fear, holding so tight to the baby that it began wailing in her arms.

Sighting the trapped family and the noises made by the sheep faunus threw the Ursa into a rage. Its roar drowned out the scream and it began to scramble the rest of the way over the counter which buckled beneath its weight. It became driven by a singular urge: _kill!_

Yet the howl of its brethren – one loud with pain before it petered and died out – managed to break through the murderous haze. It looked back, found the still body of the second Ursa with wisps of smoke trailing from it as it began disintegrating, and it was but a moment before it saw Blake with her Gambol Shroud pointed and ready to do the same to it.

The challenge made the Ursa forget about its defenseless prey as it rounded on her. Instinct had it begin standing up on its back legs, intending to offer a more menacing profile, but it made it halfway there before the ceiling of the craft shop got in the way.

That moment of distraction was all that Blake needed. She charged at the half-standing Ursa, the compact building leaving no other viable attack option than to attack head-on. With her Semblance propelling her, she came beneath the shadow of the Ursa, her sword stabbing deep into its stomach, and with her one hand positioned against the blunt edge at the back to offer the proper leverage, she pushed her weapon up, opening up the Ursa from its stomach all the way to its chin.

It was dead before it even hit the floor and Blake had already moved from it to the counter where the family of faunus remained huddled together. "Come on, let's go!"

With the massive Ursa disintegrating behind her, smoke curling around her black form while she pointed at the entrance with Gambol Shroud, the family hesitated as, for just a moment, they were unsure of whether to be just as frightened of her as they had been of the Grimm. Sense eventually returned for them. Enough, at least, for the mother to stand with one arm remaining locked around her still-crying baby while the other seized her whimpering daughter by the arm and pulled her to her feet.

"It's not safe here," Blake said, and jogged out to the exit. "Follow me!"

She made sure to be the first out to check that the way was clear. As it turned out, the roar that greeted her upon returning to the streets told her that it most definitely wasn't and a look over revealed a Creep already lunging at her. She barely stepped aside in time, teeth snapping past her, and a quick slice with her sheath beheaded the Creep as it went by.

"Go!" she ordered her charges, pointing down the street that would lead them away from the plaza. "Run! I'll hold them off!" She didn't wait to see if they obeyed, already focusing on the rest of the Creeps that were bounding over.

At her silent command, Gambol Shroud switched to its pistol form and she wasted no time to aim and fire at the Grimm. From right to left she swept it in front of her, one shot immediately following another as she coolly dispatched three of them in short order. The muzzle of her weapon swung further left and Blake fired at what she assumed was a fourth.

It wasn't a Creep but a Boarbatusk spinning towards her and her bullet deflected off its heavy armor. The mistake cost her, Blake taking the brunt of the attack that knocked her down. An attempt to stand was interrupted when she was forced to hold both her sword and sheath in front of her, stopping a pair of tusks from goring her as the Boarbatusk pressed down on her. Her arms shook and struggled to keep it back, the Boarbatusk so close that she could count every single razor tooth that lined its mouth as it snarled at her.

Before she could enact any plan to get it off her, a scream had her whipping her head around. A Creep had gotten by her and, to Blake's horror, it had pounced on the sheep faunus girl while she had been running away. She was on her stomach, the Creep's foot on her back and keeping her pinned in place.

"Mama!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks and reaching desperately out to her mother.

Blake broke her sword away from her struggle with the Boarbatusk, using just her sheath to keep the tusks at bay. Even as her blade flipped back and revealed the muzzle of the pistol again that she pointed at the Creep, she knew she was going to be too late. She could see one of the Creep's toe-claws already raised – long enough to easily pierce through the girl's spine or even her heart – and her continued fight with the Boarbatusk was throwing off her aim. Her finger touched the trigger but she hesitated, in danger of just as likely shooting the girl as she would the Creep.

A blue bolt suddenly flew in, catching the Creep right in its face. Its entire head froze, ice encasing it and stretching to do the same to half of its body, stopping just short of its legs. The Grimm stumbled off the faunus girl and fell over, its legs kicking and tail thrashing.

Weiss came in close and finished it off, shattering its frozen half with a blow from Myrtenaster. Its unfrozen lower half went motionless.

Blake turned her pistol on the Boarbatusk, tucking it right beneath its unprotected chin and firing a shot. It didn't have a chance to squeal. One moment, snarling and fighting to bring its tusks down on her. In the next, Blake was dragging herself out from beneath its dead weight.

Coming to a stand, it was to see Weiss pulling the sheep faunus up and using a glyph to enhance a jump that brought the two of them in front of her mother. As soon as she let go, the daughter flung herself into her parent's waiting arm, sobbing into her chest.

"You're safe now," Weiss assured gently and nodded back down the street where sirens and flashing lights of VPD vehicles were approaching. "Just a little farther and the police will be able to take care of you."

Even with the daughter's cries, Blake's hearing was able to make out the repeated tearful thanks of the mother as she fled. Weiss just smiled and saw the family off with a bow of her head. It was because of the reprieve that they established that had Blake taking a few seconds to stand and stare, observing the scene of the heiress to Schnee Dust not only saving but treating the faunus with such courtesy.

Unfortunately, it was only those seconds she was granted before she refaced reality. The street that she was currently at was one of two that led out of the plaza. It meant only two avenues of escape; for the civilians who were trying to flee from the Grimm, and the Grimm who wanted to spread throughout the rest of the city.

"Were they the last?" Weiss asked, appearing next to Blake, Myrtenaster still in hand as she got down to business.

"The last that I could find," Blake answered, leaving it at that. At this point, with the majority of the civilians having already evacuated and them currently standing at the edge of the street before hitting the intersection, the only ones that would be left wouldn't be alive. "I thought you were covering the other street."

"I was. The police arrived and I left it to them while making sure that they were sending some over to form a perimeter here. From what I could gather, four precincts are enroute which includes their special units."

Blake glanced back and saw the cars from earlier stopping and forming a line to completely block off the street. Men and women in the uniforms of the VPD were scrambling out and the faunus thought she managed to spot the mother and her two children being ushered behind the line.

She entertained ditching her position and returning to the plaza but such a thing was dashed when she and Weiss spotted their next obstacle: a small pack of Beowolves. These were not like what they had fought in Mountain Glenn – reckless and unorderly – as they were loping forward with a clear sign of purpose. Blake saw the cause when she spotted a Beowolf that towered over its packmates at nearly twice their size, its experience marked with a greater number of vicious spikes jutting out of it.

It was an Alpha. While its pack ran ahead on all fours, it stood on two to better bark unintelligibly at them, urging them on.

An experienced pack with a clearly-defined leader. Rather than remain at the plaza, the Alpha had ushered the other Beowolves into breaking out into other areas of the city to seek additional prey. Blake couldn't let it simply run on through, not when the VPD were still setting up their perimeter.

Neither could Weiss, the member of white already moving to intercept. Getting right in their way, a glyph formed at her feet, a blue Dust cartridge glowing. It was dimmer than usual, the cartridge beginning to run low on power, but it was enough for Weiss's spell. When she slashed at the approaching Beowolves, a giant blade made of pure ice materialized and followed the motion made by her rapier. Unlike her shorter Myrtenaster, the twelve-foot ice blade reached and cut through four of the Beowolves with ease.

Weiss was ready for more, slashing up with her rapier this time and sending another Beowolf over her head and transitioning into an accurate thrust that speared the heart of the next. Blake wasn't leaving her to do all the work, the faunus speeding around Weiss and taking over as she sliced across the stomach of another, leaving it for her teammate to finish off so she could address another foe.

This Beowolf was already slashing with clawed fingers, but Blake twisted away just enough that the sharp tips missed by an inch. She answered with a dual-bladed attack, sword and sheath each cutting diagonally and engraving a deep X into the center of the monster's torso. When it collapsed, it was to reveal the Alpha striding forward, growling at the delay that the human and faunus were causing.

Blake was about to engage it as well until there came an order from Weiss. "Blake, get away!"

She obeyed without thinking, diving to the side. As soon as she was clear, gunfire erupted, bullets filling the space she just evacuated.

The Alpha was forced to take a step back at the amount of firepower that was sent its way. It held up a hand in a futile defense, fingers being blown away while bullets created holes in its palm. Such devastating effects occurred all over its jerking body, spikes being shot to bits while flesh and muscle tore apart against the barrage. The last few shots shattered its bone mask and the Alpha fell, shortly followed by the remains of its pack.

The show of force had come from the solidified cordon of the VPD. Plainclothes and uniformed officers and Blake could make out the more armored specials that had their rifles braced atop car hoods and roofs within the line of pistols and shotguns. They were already reloading, preparing to deal with any more threats that would appear.

The line would hold well against small forces of weaker Grimm like the Beowolf pack, but Blake knew that the police were not equipped or trained enough for anything more. Grimm were a threat that fell to Huntsmen and Huntresses to exterminate and there were procedures for incidents such as this. If Grimm were ever able to breach the wall or find some other way to enter the city, it was the job of the police to form a perimeter and keep them contained while Hunters went in and cleared them out.

They were following procedure to the letter – not just the police but Team RWBY.

"I think they're set up well enough," Blake commented. "What do you think?"

"I think it's time for us to return to our partners," Weiss responded seriously.

As important as their parts had been, Weiss was unhappy and Blake shared the feeling. Once the shock had worn off, RWBY had acted to deal with the invading Grimm. Launching themselves at the host, putting themselves between the Grimm and the innocent citizens of Vale, RWBY had killed enough of the beasts to open a window for everyone to make a run for it.

They had been holding out fine until Ruby had noticed that not all of the Grimm were sticking around to fight her team. Whether due to being smarter or the mass of fleeing humans and faunus being more attractive targets, specimens like the Ursai and the Alpha had gone around to give chase while RWBY was distracted with the rest. That was when she gave the order for Blake and Weiss – their faster members – to go and make sure that they wouldn't escape from the plaza and spread.

Which left Ruby and Yang to take on any new arrivals by themselves.

There was little room for debate, though it didn't stop Weiss from loudly protesting before she eventually obeyed. Blake secretly wondered if Weiss had been thinking that Ruby's choice of sending her at what she thought to be the 'easier' assignment was due to how beaten up she had gotten during her fight with the faunus lieutenant. Unfortunately, there was no use denying that Blake and Weiss were the better pair to give chase and prevent the Grimm from getting access to the rest of the city while also protecting the people until the police arrived.

 _They're here now._ "Let's go," she said, she and Weiss making a beeline back to the plaza.

They could hear the gunfire and howls originating from the plaza, a sure sign that Ruby and Yang were still giving the Grimm all they got. Even without those, Blake only had to touch on that spot that was Yang within her heart to know that her girlfriend was still alive. Going by Weiss, the same went for Ruby. They both had gotten a taste of what it was like, losing someone that had managed to get so close to them, and their haste was undoubtedly influenced by that with how the sisters were currently facing a life-or-death situation without them.

Yet even as they raced to their partners, Blake couldn't help but look around. _They actually did it._

The corpses of the slain Grimm had disintegrated completely at this point but there was nothing that'd be able to erase the damage that they had wrought as easily. The crafts shop wasn't the only place to be damaged as Blake didn't think there was a single building on this street that hadn't been broken in some way. She and Weiss were forced to navigate around a car with Blake nearly tripping over a fallen lamp post a moment afterwards, kicking up glass from shattered windows in the process.

The White Fang did this. Whether they were ordered to or not, they had to have known that this was exactly what would happen. They had known and…they still did it.

The sheep faunus crying beneath the clawed foot of the Creep would forever be imprinted into Blake's mind and would always come up when she thought about the Fang. They had been willing to have her die – to let some monster hunt her down and devour her. The one who had saved her life was someone that the White Fang labeled as their enemy and who they claimed held no decency.

The White Fang and the Grimm – there was no difference. The Creep in her mind wavered and was replaced with the lieutenant that embodied such mindless hatred, equal to that of the Grimm.

_"Innocent?" the malevolent specter questioned, the revving of his saw as terrifying as the growls of the Creep. "There is no such thing."_

_Are you behind this, Adam?_ Blake thought. _Was this what you wanted?_

She feared for the future. No matter how this day would come to an end, she feared for what would happen afterwards all the same. All she had to do was look around and ask herself how anyone could possibly forget and go on as normal after something like this.

There would be consequences. Ramifications that would change the very world as they knew it. For now though, Blake focused on making sure that Yang would still be alive for then.

* * *

The Grimm came clawing out with such feral fever. They bellowed their fury, going mad as soon as they breathed in the air – polluted with the urban environment and the negative emotions belonging to humanity. They clawed at the edge of the breach as they pulled themselves up, all eager for slaughter.

"Fire!"

Half the skull of a Beowolf instantly vaporized, the edges of the wound steaming as it fell back into the hole. More of the high-caliber rounds were fired, blowing through armor and flesh in order to create gaping wounds that ended whatever Grimm that popped up. Despite the power behind it – enough for a round to pierce through an Ursa and go on to strike against the armored snout of a Boarbatusk - , the rate of fire wasn't enough to keep up as for every Grimm that was sent back into the breach to never return, four more were scrabbling up to the surface.

That was until the bright yellow flares came streaking in to combine with the onslaught. Catching one Creep straight on, it and two more of its kind were blown off their feet, the detonation consuming the first and shredding the others.

Yang's arms violently punched at the air, continuing her barrage to create a wall of fire to keep the Grimm back. Next to her, with Crescent Rose planted in the ground, Ruby was using more systematic precision for her kills, the barrel of her rifle shifting left and right to snipe whatever Grimm was braving through her sister's shelling.

For a moment, it looked like they were actually succeeding in holding back the Grimm. That was until a giant scaled wall curled around the hole, blocking off the volley of fire. Neither Ruby's penetrating bullets nor Yang's exploding shells managed to break through, damaging and burning the scales but they remained steady against them.

 _Damn snake!_ Yang cursed, breaking off her attack and cocking Ember Celica for the inevitable renewal.

The obstruction lifted away, the head of the King Taijitu visually scanning the two Huntresses but making no move to attack, not even for revenge for the mild wounds made on its body. Instead, it simply remained back as the next wave of Grimm – given a suitable amount of time to climb out and assemble thanks to its intervention – to charge forth at the girls.

"Yang, loading!" Ruby called, the empty magazine of her scythe dropping.

"Got it!" Taking position that was better in front of Ruby, Yang intercepted the first Grimm that came at them. Lifting her arm up, a blast from Ember Celica created a devastating elbow drop that knocked the face of an Ursa into the concrete. She turned to her right, attacking with a punch that caught a lunging Creep and launched it away with a blast from her gauntlet, and then shifted to her left to slap aside the descending claws of a Beowolf before attacking with a series of jabs straight into its stomach. The brawler could clearly feel how the Grimm's middle collapsed and turned into mush beneath her fists until it could no longer hold up the Beowolf which crumbled.

By then her original target, the Ursa, had lifted and shook its head, clearing itself of the daze from Yang's elbow. She restored it with a kick across its face before an uppercut sent it up and over back into the lines of the Grimm.

Yang cocked her arm again but knew without looking that when her spent shell was ejected from her gauntlet, there was no new one to replace it. "Loading!"

There came the flap of her sister's cape over her head and Crescent Rose came down, the weight of the heavy blade more than enough to stab through even the back armor of the Boarbatusk that had sought to use Yang's need to reload as a suitable distraction to get in close. The Boarbatusk squealed as its legs collapsed, unable to handle the mass of the scythe that now made up a good third of its insides. Ruby used the corpse as a brace to fire a round, blowing off the leg of a Beowolf before removing her blade from the dead Boarbatusk to decapitate it.

Yang already grabbed a couple rolls of fresh shells and she tossed them up into the air. The plates of Ember Celica slid back - her left gauntlet ejected the last two shells that still remained –, the rolls fell and wrapped around them, and the metal slid back to the front to set them.

They weren't partners but they were still teammates and, most of all, siblings. That gave them plenty of cohesion that they were able to apply as they fought, both of them familiar enough – perhaps even more so than their first-year partners - with each other's styles to fight as one. Beneath the wide swings of Ruby's scythe that halved whatever Grimm that came, Yang slunk in with arms up, fists immediately punching and whittling away what survivors that Crescent Rose left behind or devastating any who dared to try to get to Ruby during that second between swings.

It was part of what went into Ruby's decision for her and Yang to attempt to stem the flood of Grimm. Between Yang's strength and Ruby's Crescent Rose, they were more of the heavy-hitters when compared to Blake and Weiss who's abilities were better utilized for blocking off and killing any that tried to escape deeper into the city.

Some had gotten by which Yang had noticed but relinquished any thought of giving chase. She and Ruby needed to prioritize their efforts and the area around the breach was to be their center of attention. They had to trust that their partners would be able to complete their job until help arrived.

 _And when would that be?_ Yang wondered. The average response time for police and Hunters to come in with such force to the handle something like this? Whatever the real answer was, somehow Yang figured that it wasn't going to be fast enough.

It was down to her and Ruby and their job would be much easier if it wasn't for the giant snake that watched over the battle. The entirety of RWBY had killed enough of the initial numbers of the Grimm that she and Yang would be able to – they hoped – hold out long enough for either the return of the WB members or the arrival of reinforcements. Since then, they've managed to restrict the majority of the Grimm from advancing far from the breach.

But they had no idea how to close the hole, and the Taijitu was there to make sure that it wouldn't. Yang had to admit, it was both eerie and frustrating to deal with a Grimm that actually had a brain. The black snake was hanging back, watching over the breach like a sentinel. Any attempt for Ruby and Yang to get close resulted in it acting and the two of them couldn't handle it _and_ the rest of the Grimm. Even if it wasn't attacking, it was still smart enough to know when it could help such as that recent display to shield the Grimm and let them gather for another massed assault.

A brief glance at their entry into Vale and Yang could see the large pincer of a Death Stalker extending out, the giant scorpion beyond struggling and attempting to force its way through. An obstruction for now, but Yang feared about what would happen if it broke through. They had been lucky enough to only have the King Taijitu which was keeping back, but if something like a Death Stalker entered the battle then there was no way that she and Ruby would be able to endure for very long.

A stinger of a much smaller Stalker – being only slightly larger than a Beowolf - sought to strike her down. Yang angled her body away, the stinger just missing her, and before it drew back she grabbed the attached tail and heaved.

The Stalker was hissing with pincers swinging and clacking as Yang swung it over her head and slammed it back down. The segmented legs thrashed about, the Grimm trying to right itself, but Yang leapt forward and put all her strength into her punch that sunk her fist into the exposed underside, a point-blank shot from Ember Celica within blowing it apart.

Yang didn't have time to celebrate her victory as a sudden swipe caught her in the side, throwing her away from the disintegrating remains. An Ursa – Yang suspected the one before, going by the cracks in its bone mask made by her elbow – trudged towards her, roaring.

"Yang!" The call preceded the crescent-shaped blade that came from behind the Ursa, hooking it by the shoulder before a shot and recoil had it cutting diagonally all the way through. The splitting of the Ursa's halves revealed Ruby, looking at Yang with wide, concerned eyes.

Yang shot her fist out, firing a flare that flew over Ruby's head and right into the open maw of the Beowolf that had been ready to take a bite out of her. "I'm fine! Just-"

The ground tremor attracted their attention. The giant pincer that Yang saw before was joined by a second, both of them pushing and clawing at the edges of the breach, widening it. Once it had done so enough, the Death Stalker scuttled on through.

"Back!" Yang shouted, the Grimm that had been stuck and waiting behind the scorpion all climbing over each other in their rush to enter the city, the widening of the hole enough for them all to come in. The word of the city's vulnerability must've spread because Yang saw more formidable Grimm coming through. A pair of Beowolves that had been scrambling out were pushed aside so that an Alpha could enter unobstructed. Following it was one…then another Ursa Major.

There were too many. Way too many. Yang and Ruby were immediately forced back and Yang caught a glimpse of the fear that was beginning to set in on her sister as she swung Crescent Rose at the horde, each Grimm she cleaved not even given the chance to drop before they were immediately trampled over by a score of the dark-spawned monsters that were eager for her life.

Yang didn't dare close in, afraid to even try to stand against this latest wave with the risk of being washed away by it. She fired with her gauntlets, trying to cover her and Ruby's retreat as they backed away. Their backs nearly pressed up against the stage that was at the center of the plaza, a carpet of Grimm separating them from the breach where more and more were flowing in without pause.

"Ruby, time to shine!" Yang suddenly yelled.

Ruby paused, understanding the signal. "Got it!" The red Huntress leaped up onto the stage to take her position. She bent into a crouch and drew Crescent Rose back, the tip of the scythe pointed behind her, and held still.

 _That last hit should've been enough,_ Yang hoped. The bangs that hung in front of her face began to glow, red beginning to consume the purple of her eyes. It wasn't enough energy to give her the strength she desired but maybe…

Ruby shut her eyes and pulled up the hood of her cloak before giving the command. "Enabler!"

A black shadow had been falling over Yang, made up of the dozens of Grimm in their abominable forms that rose up with every intention of falling and making the light beneath them disappear.

But that light grew brighter in the face of the darkness. As Yang rose her arms up, irises at full crimson and her mane igniting into a blaze, her golden Aura formed around her. She drew on the energy that she had collected, feeding it into her Aura, and when she thrust her arms down, the brightness multiplied and exploded outwards.

A solar flare ignited within the hideous faces of the Grimm. A collection of inhuman shrieks were sounded and that darkness pulled away from the light as its minions were blinded. Beowolves clasped their paws over their eyes, Boarbatusks and Creeps madly shook their heads, tusks and stubby heads hitting whatever was near them, and Ursai struck blindly at an unseeing enemy.

Yang braced herself against the stage, stopping herself from collapsing altogether when her light was extinguished, hair and eyes reverting back to their normal state. She did her part though, the ranks of the Grimm temporarily lost in chaos.

There was the crack of a high-caliber sniper rifle and Yang felt the touch of rose petals descending on her. A trail of them had formed, starting at the stage and disappearing into the mass of Grimm.

Any Grimm that were near those petals died spectacularly.

Yang caught glimpses in the gaps between them. A red, hooded reaper that spun in their midst, cloak curling around her form while her wicked blade did what it was best designed for. A group of Creeps came apart against the fury of Crescent Rose. A nearby Boarbatusk lifted its tusks up towards the sound of slaughter and if it wasn't blinded it would've been able to see how those same tusks split in two…right before the rest of it did the same.

The scythe hooked behind the neck of the Beowolf, Ruby using it to swing up onto its shoulders with the blade repositioning so that the edge was against its throat. Another shot from her weapon had it slicing clean through its neck, Ruby being launched up, and a second discharge had her flying back down, spinning both herself and Crescent Rose. When she dove past a standing Ursa, multiple bloody lines suddenly ripped all along its hide, the beast moaning pathetically as it collapsed out from Yang's sight.

This was Ruby's element. Part of it was exhaustion but there was this awe that had Yang watching as Ruby fought. When she next glimpsed that little girl who had once looked up to her with such admiration, what she saw was a visage that was still young but hard with determination. Teeth gritted together, and silvers as sharp as the steel that crossed in front of them as Ruby cut, sliced, and paused for that split second to cycle the bolt of her rifle to load the next shot that was used to transition into another series of slashes that cut down any Grimm within reach like blades of grass.

A marvelous display, but as much as it amazed Yang, it also inspired her. She was not going to let Ruby do all the work.

Yang hoisted herself up onto the stage, a crazy idea coming to her when she surveyed the Grimm. She found a perfect helper: a Creep that was beginning to regain its sight and it lifted its head up towards her. The blonde jumped off the stage, her feet landing right on its head.

She heard the Creep growl beneath, and she tensed her legs in preparation for when it shot its head and legs up to fling her off. Yang pushed off it at the same time and fired both gauntlets to give her the boost needed to send her several stories into the air.

While Ruby dominated on the ground, she'll provide support from above. She put Ember Celica to work, a barrage of flares launching from the dual barrels and impacting down on the Grimm.

Yang pumped both gauntlets, about to unleash another salvo until there came a flapping of wings followed by screeches – directly behind her.

 _Where did they come from!?_ Yang thought when she saw the three Nevermores already falling upon her. Each one half her size, they came at her with talons bared and she held her arms up in a vain attempt to defend herself. They scratched at her gauntlets, hair, back – all of them fighting to get to her.

The struggle forced Yang into an uncontrollable fall, tumbling towards the ground.

* * *

Once, Blake had witnessed Yang streaking towards the ground and striking like a meteor. Now, she was seeing her partner falling. No control, just a flailing of limbs that kept up all the way until she hit the ground.

"I've got Yang!" she said to Weiss. Even as the words left her mouth, she knew that they were unneeded as Weiss was already pulling away to get on a direct course to where Ruby was.

Grimm were already gathering where Yang had landed; a couple Beowolves and Creeps forming a ring around a Yang-sized crater. An Alpha forced its way through so that it could stand and look directly into it to try and locate her.

Like a rocket, Yang shot right out and subjected the Alpha to one of her uppercuts, sending it reeling back a couple steps. Coming to rest at its legs, Yang lashed out with another devastating punch, the knee that she aimed for twisting unnaturally with a loud snap of bone that was replaced with the Grimm's howl of torment.

The brawler pulled an arm back to deliver the finishing blow but was interrupted when a Creep suddenly leapt forward, teeth clamping around her armored forearm and pulling her away from the Alpha. Unexpected, but Yang took it in stride, pivoting on her heel to address it with a hammer blow delivered by her unencumbered fist. The downward force got its teeth to shatter against her gauntlet and the Creep let go before collapsing.

More Creeps were already taking advantage of the distraction to close in around her. One jumped at her, its clawed feet looking to grasp and bring her down, but Yang met it in the air with a kick into its stomach, knocking it away. Another came charging in, intending to ram her with its head but she sidestepped, grabbed it by its long neck while passing, and used its momentum against it when she lifted it up off its feet and spun the two of them around, using the Creep to slap aside a couple more of its companions before she let go and hurled it into a Beowolf to send them sprawling.

Instead of immediately centering herself for her next opponent though, Yang stumbled as if she hadn't quite recovered from the spin, dangerously teetering on one foot. She was floored completely when one Creep used that moment of unpreparedness to leap on top of her, its claws seizing her by one shoulder and the back of her jacket. Its jaws were already snapping to try and bite into something while she fell, Blake unable to see if it was successful because more Creeps piled on, Yang disappearing beneath their mass.

"NO!"

With its destroyed knee, there was not much for the Alpha to do other than to attempt to awkwardly turn towards the source of the scream. Blake hopped onto the mangled remains of its limb and the Alpha was howling for a different reason when its arm suddenly separated from its body, Gambol Shroud slicing it off at the shoulder while Blake vaulted past. She didn't finish it, letting it writhe in agony where it fell while she came down on a smaller Beowolf that didn't notice her approach until sword and sharpened sheathe were lacerating its back around the spikes that lined its spine.

Blake kept sprinting ahead, overcome by a need to get to Yang. The blade of her sword bent and formed into its sickle and the faunus hurled it towards the Creeps that were her next obstacles. She dispensed with them just as ruthlessly, tugging on the attached ribbon and turning her weapon into a razor-sharp whirlwind that shredded the Grimm.

She returned the sickle to her hand but didn't reform it into its sword, aiming for the writhing pile of Creeps. She aimed high, firing her pistol and shooting off the Creep on top and began making her way down to clear them off of Yang.

She didn't have to get rid of them all. The Creeps were suddenly flung away, Yang throwing them off as the brawler rose to her feet. One Creep was still on her back, jaws tight on her shoulder, but Yang gripped it by the edge of its skull plate, peeled the Grimm off, and pounded it headfirst into the ground. When she let go, it didn't get up, instead beginning to disintegrate where it lay with a broken neck.

Much like before, Yang stumbled instead of straightening, dropping down onto a hand and knee with her head bowed.

"Yang!" Blake cut the head off of one Creep that her partner had thrown and had been trying to get up before she reached her. Dropping next to her, Blake's first priority was to check her shoulder. Despite the torn sleeve of her jacket, it was only the leather that had been damaged.

"It's okay," Yang assured in a breathy tone and Blake agreed when she didn't even see any signs of blood on her girlfriend. "My Aura held up, if only barely."

"You're exhausted," Blake said. Yang's breaths were coming out ragged and droplets of sweat slid down her reddened face. The faunus hadn't thought anything of Yang's condition beforehand, having thought that, when Yang had rejoined her and Weiss on the train, her fight with Neo hadn't left her worse for wear.

She didn't have time to ask, only to assume, and Blake realized she had been wrong in doing so. She remembered enough that Yang had barely gotten any sleep when this whole mess started so she could only imagine the state she was in right now.

"We're all tired, Blake," Yang countered, still taking in needy breaths. "I'm not any worse than the rest of you and I don't have time to nap here."

That bravado that was meant to keep people from needlessly worrying about her was a quality that Blake loved but she could see that Yang _was_ reaching her limits. If they weren't reinforced soon, they may all be finished.

"Take one anyway." Blake returned to her feet, her weapons tight in her hands. "I'll take the next batch." She ignored Yang's complaints as she gripped her dual blades, taking a ready stance against the snarling Ursa coming at them, flanked by more of those Creeps.

Orbs of crackling blue energy suddenly streaked it, detonating in a line in front of the incoming Grimm to throw up dust and debris. The Ursa skidded to a halt along with the Creeps, the monsters staring warily at the destruction while they growled menacingly.

A timely gust of wind blew aside the dust, revealing Neptune who was back-to-back with Sun. They both struck a pose with Sun's staff and Neptune's gun resting against their respective shoulders.

"Nobody move!" Sun ordered and flashed a bronze badge at the Grimm. "Junior detectives!"

Neptune brought up his own. "We have badges, so you know it's official!"

A strange lull fell over the battle. Blake and Yang stared dumbstruck at the two, danger momentarily forgotten. Their looks were shared by the Grimm, the Ursa having tilted its head stupidly at them while the surrounding Creeps looked at each other. No one seemed to know what to do.

Eventually the Ursa remembered, its roar bringing its fellows back to their senses while it swiped at the two Mistral students.

Sun and Neptune ducked under the paw, Sun immediately striking back by using the tip of his staff to essentially poke the bear in the eye before ducking, Neptune coming up with his rifle and firing another pair of orbs into the Ursa's face, its head disappearing in the dual flashes of blue light.

"You know," Neptune said, switching his weapon into its trident form to spear a Creep. "This feels _really_ familiar!"

"Except with Grimm!" Sun contributed, batting away another with his staff. "And we had breakfast this time!" The only sounds to be spoken next were a crescendo of bangs from Ruyi and Jingu Bang as Sun split his staff into his gunchucks, spinning both and unleashing a storm of shots that obliterated any Creep that got close.

Blake left it to them for now, reprioritizing Yang who was attempting to stand back up. "Hold still."

"I can still fight," Yang protested.

 _All the familiar places indeed,_ Blake mentally commented, it now being her who was laying a hand on her tired girlfriend to set her back down. "I'm not going to stop you, Yang. Just give me a second to try something."

Yang obliged but Blake knew she would have to work fast before Yang got impatient. Keeping her hand on one shoulder, Blake set Gambol Shroud down in order to grasp the other.

It had been a while but Blake still remembered. She could only hope that their bond had become better attuned to one another in order for this to work. She closed her eyes to better concentrate, focusing on the part that was Yang that was imprinted deep within her heart. Her Aura flared to life around her and she directed its energy through their connection, intending to bolster Yang's with it.

She felt Yang's muscles tense beneath her fingers before they relaxed. The faunus opened her eyes after another second to see Yang's Aura having similarly formed around the brawler. Faint at first, but a portion of Blake's black Aura seeped in. It existed briefly before Yang absorbed it, darkness feeding light to strengthen it as the yellow outline around Yang became a few shades brighter.

"Don't give me too much," Yang broke in, grabbing one of Blake's wrists.

Blake was already letting go, her Aura receding. "I won't. That should be enough." She bent down and retrieved Gambol Shroud and brought herself back to her feet.

Yang joined her albeit more slowly, the blonde looking at her turned up palms with wonder just as her Aura was vanishing. "Woah. That actually worked."

It wouldn't do much for the exhaustion, something Blake had mentioned earlier, but she could see how it recharged Yang in a different way as she lifted and rolled her shoulders while her hands clenched into fists. The few contusions that Blake had noticed before on her skin had vanished, the minor injuries along with the aches and pains being cured with the Aura boost. It'll refresh Yang in that way but, most importantly, her Aura levels had been upped enough that she would be protected for a little longer.

 _I just hope it's long enough,_ Blake prayed, already surveying the plaza to see how things were going. Sun and Neptune were still fighting, giving them fresh fighters but they needed more.

Blake then searched for and found Ruby and Weiss. The red and white partners similarly reunited, they had taken to what higher ground the stage offered. Weiss had made it even harder for the Grimm to ascend onto it by creating a short ice wall along the edge, complete with jutting icicles with sharp points. A few Grimm had impaled themselves in their haste to get to the Huntresses, one Beowolf still valiantly reaching for them despite the frozen spikes that were through its torso.

Ruby and Weiss each covered a flank of the ice wall. Any Grimm that wanted to get around it and onto the stage were sent back down by either the thrusts of Myrtenaster that pierced through vitals or the slashes of Crescent Rose that viciously dismembered them.

That was until an Ursa Major barreled on through the ice wall, its thicker hide enduring against the ice.

The Huntresses simultaneously flipped backwards, establishing space between them and the Major. Weiss reacted first, lifting Myrtenaster up and making a spinning motion with the tip. Miniaturized versions of her snowflake-shaped glyph materialized above her head and after making a gesture towards the Major with her rapier, they shot towards the Grimm.

Around its neck and front legs, the snowflakes transformed into shackles that bound them. Like a conductor, Weiss turned Myrtenaster up and the shackles obeyed, forcing the Major to stand on its hind legs. The muscles of the creature visibly flexed, trying to break through its restraints, but neither of its trapped limbs or even its head were able to make the barest of movement.

It was wide open and Ruby accepted her partner's gift with no hesitation. A blur of red shot straight towards the trapped Major and a moment later its bottom half fell away, its top half still suspended by the glyphs before Weiss dispersed them and it dropped onto the stage.

The damage was still done, Grimm using the space once taken up by the ice wall to climb onto the stage with Ruby quick to address them.

She was the only one who was. Instead of joining her, Weiss fell to a knee, the tip of Myrtenaster stabbing into the stage floor to keep her from collapsing as she leaned against it. It took a couple swings for Ruby to realize she was missing her partner and she spun around, reaching and calling out to the tired girl.

The King Taijitu chose that moment to intercede. Having stayed back to cover the breach the entire time, the Grimm suddenly surged ahead, its long body coming between Weiss and Ruby before addressing the latter, the snake displaying its long fangs as it hissed at the scythe-wielder.

It was singling out Ruby. As one of the fresher and deadlier of the human resistance that had impeded the Grimm thus far, the Taijitu was separating her in a bid to kill her quick. While the snake hissed at her front, the rest of the Grimm were at her back, Ruby looking at the monsters all around her with no help in sight.

That was until there came a thundering boom, followed by a battle cry that was arguably just as loud. "YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAW!"

* * *

Nora came arcing into the plaza, standing on the head of Magnhild with one hand on the shaft for balance while the other was raised over her eyes to better see the Taijitu that rotated around at her approach. Target in sight, a grin split across Nora's face and she squeezed the trigger of Magnhild, encouraging another explosive blast that boosted her towards the black serpent while she twisted around in the air to bring her weapon into play.

"SMASH!"

Fragments of bone flew everywhere, the King Taijitu's bone mask splitting under the impact of the heavy hammer. It made it all the more devastating when Nora triggered another explosive shot, pink fire and smoke swallowing up the snake's head at the point-blank detonation that cleared Nora away from it. Upon dispersing, there were very little distinguishing marks that could identify the mangled remains that were left as a head. A weak hiss – or just the sound of air escaping – was issued from it and then it and the body it was attached to fell, crushing what unlucky Grimm that happened to be under it.

Nora touched down next to the assembled JNPR at the edge of the plaza; her partner Ren with bladed pistols locked and loaded with Pyrrha and Jaune Arc with their swords and shields at the ready.

 _Right on time!_ the blond leader cheered, Nora's explosive entry the perfect show for his team's arrival. _The heroes have arrived!_ Exceedingly pumped, Jaune lifted Crocea Mors, an order at his lips-

"Let's move!" Pyrrha commanded, Ren and Nora following her lead as they all leapt into battle.

"Smack!" Nora cried, suiting word with action as she sent a Creep sailing with her weapon. The more quiet Ren didn't offer words but his efforts were no less effective, kicking a second Creep directly in its face before swinging the attached blades of Storm Flower around to gouge deep into the back of a third. Pyrrha bashed her shield into an overseeing Beowolf and lashed out with her javelin, stabbing deep into the stumbling beast.

Crocea Mors lowered, Jaune grumbling a little at what was the superseding of his command. He shook it off. _Nope, it's fine; no time to waste after all!_

Squaring his shoulders and bouncing on his feet to get him pumped, Jaune rushed in to join his team, feeling like he was living in one of his grandfather's stories during the Great War. Monsters having gotten through the gates, assaulting the good people of Vale, and then the big heroes arrived to drive them back.

"Okay, who's first?" he called, eager to make his first true mark as a Huntsman by defending this great city.

An answer came in the form of a loud _thud_ as something big landed behind him. He froze in place, able to distinctly feel the hot breath of something poised right over him. Slowly, he turned around.

The Ursa roared right in his face, the bear-like Grimm standing fully upright so that the difference in size was made very clear to the human.

"Ooo-o-okay!" Jaune sputtered, a small jump of fright backing him from the Ursa. "You're first, huh?"

The Ursa took one step towards him, fangs bared as it snarled at him.

Jaune chuckled nervously, taking a retreating step in response. "Okay, no that's fine."

The Ursa continued approaching him, each landing of its foot marked with a growl-tinged breath. With its head cocked, a tongue licked at the tips of its fangs as if it was able to taste the boy's unease. Savoring it…and wanting more.

"Totally fine," Jaune tried to say confidently even as he was taking yet another step back. "Done this before…done this before."

This was hardly the biggest Grimm he had come up against, having stood up against a Death Stalker with his team during their initiation, and then assault an Ursa Major solo – the upgraded variant at least double the size of a regular Minor like this one.

So why was he suddenly so scared, his shield and sword unmovable in his hands?

Because this really was happening. When seconds ago he was ready to dive right on in, his and the Ursa's proximity made it abundantly clear that this was the moment he had been searching for – with lies and deceit, and then months and months of grueling training and hard work that made it clear as to just how insignificant he was in comparison to his friends.

This was where he would truly define himself. When people looked back on this as they told their stories, would they recall it as the first step that Jaune Arc made to become the hero he had set out to be, or the fool that had deluded himself with heights that he could never reach? Would the trust and the efforts that his friends had given to him pay off, or go to waste?

_"You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."_

Jaune took one more step back but no further. His knees bent, lowering his stance, and he brought his shield up to create the protection that he was taught. _Low and wide._

With his shield at the front, the boy brought his sword to the back. He breathed deeply, settling his nerves and strengthening his stance. _Ready, not tense._

His last breath came out in a roar as he swung. Having viewed him as a cornered morsel, the Ursa did nothing to stop the sword from slashing across it. It cried out in stunned pain.

Jaune spun his wrist and sword around and cut again. No waste of strength and momentum – use everything he had. Energy used in each sword swing was transferred into the next, creating a string of attacks with one instantly followed by another. He felt the subtle resistance as Crocea Mors met and sliced through the burly body of the Ursa and then he was bringing it up, around, and making a return trip.

There was no room for the Ursa to counter, the Grimm howling as it was ravaged as strike after strike after strike landed with its cries overpowered by the continued yells of Jaune Arc. It was when Jaune needed to stop and regain his breath that he stopped, returning Crocea Mors to stand ready behind him while his shield remained in position, staring over it and at the Ursa.

The Grimm stood where it was, arms limp at its sides and staring straight ahead.

_And…it falls._

The Ursa remained where it was, entirely still. Not even breathing.

_Annnnnnd…it falls._

It was still standing.

_….And it-_

The Ursa tipped and fell over backwards.

_Woohoo!_

* * *

Ruby hopped over the corpse of the King Taijitu in order to put it between her and the Grimm, Crescent Rose adhering to the clamp on her back as fighting was sent to the back of her mind. "Weiss!"

Her partner had attempted to rise to her feet but fell short. She was still using Myrtenaster as a crutch, Weiss slightly hunched over it, and there was a slight trembling of her legs. As soon as she reached her, Ruby slung an arm around her shoulders to take some of Weiss's weight.

Weiss was already tugging on her arm before it even settled. "I'm fine, Ruby. Just need a moment to catch my breath."

She needed more than that. Out of all the members of RWBY, it was Weiss who could tax herself out the easiest when it came to her bladework and Dustcraft. Though the time at Beacon had been steadily increasing her stamina, this was pushing it. With them this close together, Ruby could see the windows of Myrtenaster's cylinder and how at least half of the Dust cartridges loaded within were running low.

How many spells had she been casting along with all that they've been through today? Ruby had seen how quickly she casted her ice wall and then her glyphs to immobilize the Major in such short order and she could only wonder just how many others she had used when she had been chasing and keeping the Grimm from leaving the plaza.

 _And I thought I gave her the easier job._ It was part of the reason as to why Ruby sent her away and Weiss must've picked up on it enough to be insulted. But Ruby had been thinking as a leader and as a leader she thought Weiss was more suited elsewhere – not just by her skills but her condition as well.

It was by thinking as a leader that Ruby began to lead Weiss away from the Grimm and she could feel her feet scrabbling to find enough purchase to stop her while she cried, "Let go, I can handle it!"

"JNPR and SSSN are here to help," Ruby tried to explain calmly but was broken with grunts as she held onto Weiss, practically dragging her struggling partner. "We can-"

A shadow passed over them which was quickly followed by another, putting them on alert. One hand blindly reached for Crescent Rose while Ruby did her best to orientate to what she saw was a possible threat. _Nevermores?_

Despite her exhaustion, Weiss had brought her rapier up, the slender steel covering them both. Ruby feared that she was going to cast another spell but she didn't. When the leader did see what it was that was flying above them, her hand froze when she gripped Crescent Rose, stopping just shy of freeing it from her back.

Those weren't Nevermores.

* * *

Everyone eventually had their attention drawn to the sky, including the Grimm. While the shadows could be missed and even ignored, the same couldn't be said when a formation – one lead craft with flanking pairs - of the aerial arrivals flew in low, engines loud in the ears of those present while jet wash sent small gusts down below.

There were at least five of such groupings that started filling the air above the plaza but with how they twisted, banked, and maneuvered as they checked the skies and formed a perimeter, it was hard to keep track of the exact number.

What became the center of everyone's attention though, was the slender nose that passed over the edge of the plaza. It cut through the air space, making way for the rest of the Atlesian dreadnaught to glide over the battlefield, eclipsing the rising sun as it took a position over the city.

Hunters and Grimm alike were transfixed by it. For the humans and faunus, it was a show of force that they had yet to become accustomed to despite how three of these warships had been a constant sight since their arrival. However, this was the first where one had arrived with the intention for battle.

For the Grimm, they recognized the technology of man but for how much hatred it should encourage, they instead remained in place with uncertainty. Instincts demanded they attack but how could they possibly hope to do so against machines that were up so high and so massive in size?

From within the bridge of the dreadnaught, General James Ironwood took in his audience. Standing tall within the center of the circular bridge, the general examined the assorted holographic monitors and displays provided before tapping against one screen that showed a view of the plaza, magnifying the image so that he could better make out each and every member of the soulless species that made up this invasion of one of humanity's most treasured cities.

He couldn't believe it himself when the sirens blared, shortly followed by an emergency transmission from his fleet. A dropship had already been enroute to fetch him from Beacon and during the transfer to his flagship he had been engrossed in his scroll and the constant updates that were being sent to it as his forces gathered intelligence of what was going on by contacting Vale's council, the VPD, watching broadcasts from VNN, and the recon flights that they had sent out to investigate.

All sources pointed to one thing: the city had been breached.

It was only seeing the proof right in front of his eyes that Ironwood had to relent to it and he was able to piece together the clues as to how this happened. One look at the rift that had been opened up in the ground and the train that laid next to it, and he could make a very educated guess.

As shocking and terrible as the whole situation was, the tactical mind of the general had to give a small iota of recognition to the thinking that led to this. Using an old subway tunnel to send a train crashing through the sealed and buried entrance and open up a path for the Grimm to go under the walls, bypassing the primary defense that had kept Vale free of their presence for generations.

However, the general recognized and despised the sort of person that was needed to come up with such a plan. This action was equivalent to an attempt at genocide where something of its nature had only ever been attempted during the height of the Great War – when tyrants and madmen had willingly pursued every option that was available to them in a last-ditch effort to either retain their holdings or let them burn around them.

This was exactly the kind of thing and the kind of people that Ironwood had wanted to prevent from rising ever again. As a general of the most powerful military, he had strived to use his position to fulfill his sworn duty to protect the peace. As of this morning, he had failed to do so.

But by the end of the day, he intended to reestablish it.

"Maintaining position over the plaza," came the navigations officer.

"Weapons at full charge," came a voice from the weapons station.

"We are not to fire under any circumstances," Ironwood immediately replied. Their military doctrine was very clear when it came to firing within a city and any officer who dared to break it would be subjected to severe punishments unless they provided a very, _very_ good reason to do so. There were also friendlies down there, Ironwood having spotted the Huntsmen and Huntresses down below. "What's the status of our other ships?"

"Last communiqué had them at an ETA of one minute to reach the southern defensive wall," the officer responsible for communications returned.

Ironwood nodded. The two dreadnaughts that he had ordered to the wall would not have the same problem. Once they were beyond the city limits, they would be free to exterminate the Grimm attacking there with extreme prejudice.

That would only be one piece of the presentation that he was crafting here, and he made sure that he would be at the center of the stage to conduct the main act.

"General, dropships are in position and ready to deploy the 200s at your order," reported ops.

Though Ironwood only had to glance out the viewing window to see a portion of them, he devoted a look to the screens that were broadcasting a better picture from the flagship's external cameras. Once the immediate area had been designated as clear of airborne targets, the Atlesian fighter/transports had gathered around the dreadnaught and spaced themselves out to cover above the plaza.

 _And so it begins._ Stifling the urge to smile, Ironwood instead clasped his hands tightly behind him and made sure that his back was presentably straight.

He almost wished that Penny was in one of those ships, ready to be deployed with the rest of the Knights, but a memorable performance was one that did not waste all of its wonders in one shot. Her time would come, and the part she had to play was the most important of all. If this was to be the first act, then Penny was the finale that would win the crowd over. As to what she would be winning them over to…

Well, all in good time. That was to be for another, much grander stage.

"Deploy the Knights."

* * *

The deployment order was transmitted from the flagship and passed around to the assembly of dropships. The pilots obeyed, the rear ramps of the airships dropping down to reveal their passengers.

The ships were built based on the Atlesian military's growing reliance on mechanized warfare. Ordinarily, using such small vessels as transport ships would end up with numerous complications, the first and most important ones involving the comfort of the passengers. Trying to jam a squad of soldiers into the passenger compartment would leave very little room to move and would be outright dangerous if the ships attempted to maneuver in a combat zone with such limited space.

A squad of androids, on the other hand, was a different issue altogether. When the ramps lowered, it was to reveal a total of eight AK-200s standing shoulder-to-shoulder in two tightly-packed rows of four with rifles held across their chests. Comforts meant nothing to the androids and the absence of any accommodations created more space to house these machines that could remain standing in the hold for however long they needed until they were ready to be deployed.

What the Atlesians got was a versatile fighter/transport. Fast and highly maneuverable, they could fly in, unload their troops, and fly out or stick around to provide air support with the paired chin guns, their then empty holds further increasing their maneuverability. Along with their speed, they were small targets when compared to the bigger Bullheads. They were not as durable, but if one was to be shot down the only real lives that would be lost were that of the pilots.

There was also one other advantage that came with the nature of their passengers: there was no need for any kind of landing strategy whatsoever. All they had to do was jump.

Devoid of fear, the first pair of androids in line made the small hop out from the passenger bay and into empty air with the next pair immediately stepping up to repeat the action. This was done throughout all of the gathered dropships until over one hundred androids were freefalling towards the plaza.

They righted themselves just before they made landing. Though having fallen from hundreds of feet in the air, they hit feet-first with no signs of damage taken, landing in a crouch before coming to a stand. After shouldering their rifles, they began firing.

They did not fire projectiles but bolts of energy produced from an internal, Dust-based power cell. More shots, less power, but against such massed fire, the Grimm fell to it just as readily. One Ursa roared and attempted to swat at the yellow bolts that struck it, burning holes through fur and flesh. The Knights targeting it kept up their fire until the Ursa's struggles weakened and then stopped when it fell over, succumbing to its wounds.

Their targeting program matched the Grimm to the profiles stored in their databases while simultaneously identifying the Huntsmen and Huntresses that fought with them as friendlies. Guns turned and fired, Knights hitting Grimm with pinpoint accuracy. When one android targeted a Grimm, other nearby Knights linked their firing solutions together with it to create maximum efficiency as they all targeted the same specimen.

It was not just their numbers that made them so effective, as demonstrated by one Boarbatusk. Its rolling attack smashed solidly into two Knights, throwing them off their feet and knocking them to the ground. When it uncurled from its ball and looked for new victims, it suddenly began squealing as energy bolts struck at it, the androids it had just smacked into having picked themselves up and resumed firing, the only visibly damage being the dents in their armor.

A Beowolf charged at a Knight. The android tried to bring its rifle to bear but the Grimm seized it by the arm and held it away while lifting the claws of its one paw up, ready for a strike. When it sought to bring them down though, the android responded in kind, gripping its wrist.

The visage of the Beowolf snarled into a featureless visor. Muscles and servos fought against each other as the two became locked in a power struggle. They were evenly matched.

This was opposition that the Grimm were not used to. Unfeeling machines that were not only as strong as them but were attacking in numbers that were close to matching theirs. The tables were turning but not coming totally around just yet.

The breach, after all, was still open.

* * *

Ruby had remained immobilized at the stage due to fascination as she watched the entry of the Atlesian military; from the small fleet of airships that filled the skies to the AK-200s that came raining down and became locked in battle with the Grimm. Going by how quiet Weiss was, her partner had been just as captivated.

That was until her voice suddenly rang out and Myrtenaster shifted. "Ruby!"

Ruby whipped her head to where Weiss was presenting Myrtenaster and saw an Ursa on top of the black corpse of the King Taijitu, its sight locked solely on the pair. With a roar, it leapt off and fell towards them.

Before Ruby could react, there was a short whine which turned into a loud chatter of guns firing. A hail of bullets hit and then passed through the Ursa, shredding it and turning its descent into an uncontrollable tumble that had it falling just short of its intended targets.

Ruby saw the source of the help a moment later: an Atlesian ship, but one having flown so low that it was able to target and kill the Grimm with its chin guns. Smiling, Ruby waved up at it and the pilot waggled the wings in return before drifting to another part of the plaza to help.

That was until it was pulled out from the sky.

Though the Ursa had brought it into Ruby's view, the young leader hadn't noticed the anomaly that was nearby: the Taijitu's body was still present. It hadn't disintegrated as it should when Grimm were slain.

It was still there, and it _moved_.

From the breach, there came a loud hiss and then another head of a Taijitu – this one colored white – broke free. Its target was the low flying airship and before the pilot could react, the Taijitu opened its mouth wide and the tip of the vessel's tail disappeared down its throat while its fangs pierced into the metal.

The dropship jerked and then the pilots worked to try and free themselves. The engines tilted until they were pointing straight down and they roared as they were put at maximum burn. It gained some ascension, the Taijitu's head lifting with it, but with the violent pull the Grimm not only brought the dropship down again but its body twisted, pulling the dropship further along towards the edge of the plaza.

The Grimm crashed through a building, bringing the airship with it. There was the squealing of metal, the engines quieting as they went dead, and when the Taijitu pulled itself free it left behind the warped fuselage of the vessel behind in the wreckage.

 _Oh, right,_ Ruby thought when the serpent turned towards her and Weiss. _Two heads._

Nora had only killed one half of the King Taijitu. The other was still alive, and it was angry.

Ruby was already retreating with Weiss when it began slithering towards them, extricating more of its white-scaled body from the tunnel. The maw of the creature went wide again, presenting its fangs and the gullet beyond.

A quartet of Atlesian Knights leapt onto the stage, already firing as they moved past the two Huntresses and placed themselves between them and the Taijitu. The Grimm shook its head as the bolts connected but the roar it made was not so much one of pain as it was of annoyance before its attention became focused on the androids. It snatched one of them within its mouth, shaking it madly while its fangs bit deep, and when it flung the Knight away it was with the android's body as a broken mess.

It was enough of a distraction for Weiss and Ruby to get clear of the stage and towards a small space that was currently free of combat. To Ruby's relief they were met by Yang and Blake, both of them alive if worn – Yang more than Blake.

"You guys okay?" Yang asked, concern sweeping over the red and white pair.

"Fine," Ruby replied, maintaining her grip on Weiss. She jerked her head to the stage. "But we have to do something about that."

Yang and Blake looked back to see the Taijitu using its body to sweep aside the last remaining Knights. Unlike its twin, it didn't seem interested in guarding the hole as it began moving away, desiring instead to join in on the battle. It dragged its dead half behind it, the literal dead weight not keeping it from sliding off the stage and reaching the next grouping of Knights. Like the ones before, the androids turned and fired, but their weapons were inadequate to pierce through the scales.

Even with her tired state, Yang still had it in her to make a quip. "Don't they know not to send robots to do a Huntress's job?"

"It's going to be tough to take down, even for us," Blake commented.

That Ruby agreed with. While the Taijitu began crushing the Knights beneath it, she saw a flash of green which turned out to be Ren, the boy firing both his pistols to join in the salvo of the androids. Though the small rounds of Storm Flower were just as ineffective, the Taijitu was clearly more interested in the human.

Nearby, Nora had scaled a roof that brought her at the same level as the Taijitu. While the Grimm was distracted by her partner, Nora stood ready, waiting for the right moment, and when it came she launched herself from the roof and towards the Taijitu's turned head, Magnhild held high.

"SM-!" Nora began until the snake's head jerked away, Nora flying harmlessly by, and then it returned to bat the hammer-wielder into the ground.

The Taijitu wasn't going to fall as easily as its twin. It was prepared now.

"Any plans?" Yang asked.

"We'll think as we go," Ruby replied, mind working furiously to try and come up with something as she took in their current strength. "The three of us will take care of it. Weiss, you should-"

" _No_."

Ruby gaze jerked to Weiss and found the heiress giving her a look that was as sharp as her tone. "Wha-?"

"I said no," she repeated fiercely.

"But Weiss, you-"

"You are _not_ going to tell me to stay back and leave you to do this, Ruby Rose!" The arm that was around Ruby's shoulders tightened, keeping the leader in place of the scathing look that Weiss fixed her with.

The vehemence surprised Ruby and it extended to Yang and Blake, the other half of RWBY glancing at each other with confusion. What they couldn't possibly feel but what Ruby did, however, was that beneath Weiss's fierceness was something else. The strength in her grip was fueled by something more than the heiress's typical anger that one would think was coming from being insulted at the suggestion of being left out.

It was something that was very familiar to Ruby, but it broke off when Weiss let go and pushed away from her. Standing straight and features hardening into a neutral mask, the fencer surveyed her teammates, any signs of her previous weaknesses well-hidden.

"I'll take it out," she insisted with a delivery that dared any of them to argue.

Yang and Blake both turned to Ruby who was staring at her partner. Weiss greeted her with cold eyes, jaw set, and lips in a thin line.

Ruby slowly nodded. "We'll set it up then."

* * *

After a quick discussion of the plan they moved out with Yang taking her usual frontal approach. With the Taijitu at the vanguard, the Grimm had been slowly regaining ground, and the brawler found a small crowd blocking her off from the Taijitu.

An abandoned car and some creativity fixed that. Yang drove her fist into the hood, lifting the back up, and her next punch was directed into the roof to send the car flipping end-over-end into the assembled Grimm, crushing or smacking them aside to clear her way.

She couldn't help but donate a moment to flex her fingers. She was still tired but, she had to admit, the Aura boost that Blake had given her was helping. Hopefully it would last long enough to deal with this challenge.

Yang took off down the path that she cleared but then had to stop short. Off to her right, a Death Stalker was coming towards her, pincers clacking menacingly. Cursing under her breath, she rotated to face it, fists coming up in preparation.

Instead of making the rest of the way to her, the Death Stalker halted and began squealing, its body jerking wildly. Yang blinked in confusion until she saw a figure of red and bronze come out from beneath it, Pyrrha having come up behind and slid under the Death Stalker, creating a collection of cuts with Miló where the exoskeleton didn't cover. When she came upright, she brought up Akoúo̱ and blocked one of the pincers that the Death Stalker swung towards her.

The other cocked in preparation and then swung towards her back but it was similarly stopped, this time by a triangular-shaped shield.

"We'll take care of this one!" Jaune shouted over to Yang, he and Pyrrha back-to-back as they kept the pincers from reaching either of them.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course he's sure!" While the Death Stalker was distracted by the JP pair, Neptune dropped down onto its back, weapon in hand. It was in its glaive mode, the single blade crackling with energy, and he stabbed it down. He must've spotted a chink in the Death Stalker's armor or the energized metal must've actually broken through because the Death Stalker began shrieking in renewed pain. "They've got me!"

"And me!" Flipping over Jaune and Pyrrha were three of Sun's brightly-colored clones. They converged on the Death Stalker, leaping at its face, and the Death Stalker squealed as they exploded against and blinded its many eyes. It scurried back, Jaune and Pyrrha chasing after it with the real Sun soon following right behind them.

Yang couldn't help but chuckle and gave them a quick salute. "All yours, then!"

She resumed her sprint towards the Taijitu and in the middle she purposely passed where she saw Nora had been knocked into the street. Much like Yang, Nora was climbing out from her own crater.

"Ready to take part of our world-saving adventure?" Yang asked once she reached her.

Nora had been rubbing at her head with a pained expression but at hearing Yang's offer she immediately forgot about her pain as she grinned manically and clutched Magnhild. "I thought you'd never ask!"

"Good!" Yang cocked Ember Celica. "We're the distraction!"

Nora didn't need to hear anything else, Magnhild transforming from its hammer to its grenade launcher mode. Standing next to each other, Yang and Nora let loose, yellow flares and pink, heart-stamped grenades streaking towards the Taijitu.

The heavy weapons proved to get a reaction out it when two of Yang's flares managed to explode near its face before one of Nora's grenades hit. The force of the detonation was like a punch that knocked its head to the side before it spun to them, unleashing a roar.

Leaving Nora to keep firing, Yang started to drift away from her, still firing an occasional flare. Like she expected, the Taijitu started tracking her while it ducked its head beneath another of Nora's grenades.

 _Yeah, I'd be afraid of Nora too,_ Yang thought. As it was Nora who had killed its twin and nearly did the same again to it, she had assumed – correctly, it appeared – that the Taijitu would be more inclined to tangle with her.

It may not be the dumbest move for it to make but it was still pretty dumb to think that Yang would be easier prey.

After she gained a bit more distance from Nora, the Taijitu chose to strike, head snapping down and jaws opening wide to devour Yang. Yang pointed one gauntlet behind her, firing off a shot, and that added speed was enough for it to just miss her, the Taijitu's head slamming and burrowing into the street. Yang started skidding to a halt, pointed her other gauntlet in the opposite direction, and the next bit of recoil had her flying back towards it.

It had just extracted itself from its self-made imprint in the middle of the street when Yang reached it. Her blow wasn't anything like Magnhild but it was enough to send it crashing through the display window of a bakery.

The Taijitu pulled out from the window, glass shards falling off it. It tried to relocate Yang but what it found instead was Ren who sprinted by, the attached blades of Storm Flower slashing across the side of its face. Hissing in pain, it switched to him, leaving it open for Blake, the cat faunus descending from above with the sword portion of Gambol Shroud unsheathed. Her feet landed on top of its bone mask first, followed by the point of her sword which embedded itself into the thick layer of bone.

That was where Ruby came in. With everyone focusing their attacks at its head, it was she who attacked its body. She triggered her Semblance, streaking in as a red blur with scythe and rose petals trailing behind her. Racing alongside its white body, her scythe blade broke through and dug deep into the scales before she proceeded to drag it behind her as she ran, spiraling around the long body with Crescent Rose creating a split along the length of the Taijitu.

The Grimm thrashed and roared, shaking its head and body. Blake flipped away but her sword remained stuck in its skull plate, the ribbon flapping like a flag as it lifted away, raising itself to its full height in a bid to get out of reach of the assaulting Hunters. It was successful in removing Ruby who similarly leapt away.

"Weiss!" she called.

Her partner's glyph appeared in mid-air, right over the thrashing Taijitu. It spun with its usual elegance, but there was an addition to the smooth lines that were woven so intricately.

They were charged with electricity, visible bolts dancing and sparking along the Schnee crest like a thunder cloud. At the center they gathered, coalescing together…until they formed into one giant lightning bolt that struck down with a deafening boom.

Yet even then they all heard the Taijitu when it screamed. Striking the hilt of Gambol Shroud like an improvised rod, the lightning coursed through the entire length of the snake, its coils becoming wreathed in electricity that skipped along its scales. Tendrils arced through the long, bloody trench that was made by Ruby and the Taijitu's eyes exploded as the power of Nature's Wrath fried it from without and from within.

Its inhuman screech ended and the only reason its body still stood and twitched was because of the remaining charge that flowed through it. When it finally bled away, the giant form collapsed and, this time, it wouldn't get up again. According to the wisps of darkness that began exuding from it, the only thing left for the monster to do was disappear.

* * *

After spending over a week with nothing but Grimm, Coco Adel had intended to spend her day off with them being entirely absent. Sleep in late, enjoy a long, hot shower to better expunge the griminess that she could still feel from her team's extended stay in the wilderness despite last night's scalding soak, and then hit the city on a different kind of expedition – one that involved visiting the top five of the ten best-listed clothing stores to be found in Vale.

It was the sirens of Beacon Academy that announced that each and every step of her planned time off was about to become so thoroughly undone. Not only was she forced awake _much_ earlier than she intended, but she had to skip her shower.

To say she was unhappy was putting it politely.

To say it again when she realized her team's haste to get dressed had led her to donning the same clothes she wore yesterday was a _gross_ understatement.

Then there was the biggest irony of all. She was getting her wish in regards to visiting Vale, currently being jetted there by a Bullhead. However, she was not going there for her shopping extravaganza.

She and her team were being sent to fight the Grimm that were currently rampaging in it.

With all these events in mind, she surprised even herself with this calmness that accompanied her when she decided to move to the cockpit. She decided to make an amendment to that. She wasn't 'calm' so to speak but more…apathetic. One theory she currently entertained was that her emotions had become so utterly devastated that they had reset to a passive setting so that she was able to retain her sanity.

Whatever the reason, it made her voice exceptionally steady when she queried, "What's the status?"

With the pilot focusing on the actual flying, it was the co-pilot who answered. "Reports coming in now from local police forces and elements of the Atlesian military that are onsite." He pressed a hand against the side of his helmet, listening to what Coco suspected to be those reports. "Confirmed presence of two Hunter teams codenamed RWBY and JNPR along with members of SSSN. General Ironwood has reinforced them with combat androids and close-support airships."

Coco expressed a "Tch" that she was wasn't really concerned about them hearing at the mention of the Atlesians. The report of their intervention bred a flicker of annoyance. Call it her professional pride being stung but having spent enough of her years defending Vale and its outlying territories with her fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses, there was an established feeling of ownership that was noticeably vexed at the idea of foreigners doing what was their job.

It wasn't that she hated Atlesians or anything – what was the problem was that it was the military. If they had been Hunters from Atlas then there would be no grievances, but the fact that it was the military bothered her. They were always showboating with their big ships and boasting of their next great achievement coming from their overreliance on technology and she didn't like the idea of them getting more fuel for it.

 _Can't help but notice they only mentioned androids and not their own Hunters,_ she thought sourly. As a leader though, she knew when and how to put her personal feelings aside as she did so now when she asked, "How did the Grimm manage to get in the city in the first place?"

"The exact circumstances are unknown," the co-pilot informed her. "What has been confirmed is that some sort of tunnel had opened in the central plaza and is being used as their method of entry."

Coco felt a portion of her insides grow cold, this bit of information breaking through her apathy. _The central plaza?_ Such is the nature of this cruel irony; that was supposed to have been her first destination of her planned spree. _It better still be in one piece when I get there or-_ "Get us there as fast as you can!"

"Roger!"

Disturbed, the fashionista retreated back into the passenger cabinet where the rest of her team was assembled and they all looked to her for an update on the situation. She put her own concerns off to the side to better address them. "I've just been told that the Grimm managed to get into the central plaza of Vale through an underground tunnel. Other than the Atlesians, other Hunter teams are already on the scene, including JNPR and RWBY."

A pair of brown bunny ears shot straight up from the line of her teammates. "RWBY and JNPR?"

Coco's expression softened at the worried face of Velvet and she immediately attempted to soothe her concerns. "I haven't been told much about their status but they are fighting there and I'm sure we'll arrive in time to help them."

"I hope so," the faunus murmured, her hands wringing together while her ears bent low with concern. "I spoke with RWBY as soon as we got back yesterday. They're supposed to be on their first mission and I said that they were going to be fine."

Coco felt for her. They had all taken a liking to them – RWBY and JNPR. She had spotted the members of the former come up to speak to Velvet and Coco was happy to see the display of friendship that had guarded their adorable bunny girl during last semester. CFVY owed the two teams and if it was one thing that they took pride in it was that they always paid their debts.

Well, that and enforcing Rule Number One.

"Your fears are misplaced!" a bombastic voice suddenly broke out. "RWBY and JNPR both carry the qualities of true Hunters-in-training, something of which I can personally attest to! If there were ever a pair of teams that could triumph over something as this, it would undoubtedly be them!" There was a merry chuckle followed by, "No offense to present company of course!"

"None taken," Coco replied, smiling a little at the interjection.

When CFVY had gone rushing into the first Bullhead to arrive, they had done so with Peter Port coming along. The man stood proudly with chest jutting out and hands at his hips in what Coco could guess was his image of a heroic stance. The blunderaxe that she would always see on a mantle in his classroom was instead at his back, the professor spoiling for a fight and having made several comments to convey his eagerness for it ever since they took off.

Velvet obtained some reassurance from his words and a hand took that moment to lay itself on her shoulder, easily engulfing it. Instead of being intimidated, Velvet turned and smiled at the owner.

Yatsuhashi nodded, face stoic but eyes gentle.

Coco peered out through one of the airship's viewports to check their progress. They had been following the river route and she happened to look out just as they reached where it flowed into the city. Between the tall buildings, she could see the streets that were filled with people running about like ants and she could easily pick out the emergency lights of police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks all heading in the same direction.

She caught something out of the corner of her eye and the frantic voice of the pilot suddenly blasted through the Bullhead's intercom. "Brace yourselves!"

She grabbed the safety handle a moment before the Bullhead suddenly banked, her feet briefly leaving the floor. Something big and black passed across the viewport she had been looking through and the Bullhead shook in response to sudden turbulence.

"Splendid performance!" Port praised. While the rest of CFVY had practically dived for the safety handles, their professor had somehow remained in place, his poise not even shaken. "My compliments to the pilot!"

When the Bullhead centered itself, it was Velvet who looked out and identified what missed them. "A Giant Nevermore!"

Coco looked back out the viewport again. Two of those Atlesian airships streaked past, their chin guns firing as they chased what she soon confirmed was a Nevermore of that variant.

"We currently have sightings of three Giant Nevermores," the pilot reported from the front.

 _Three?_ One was uncommon enough, but three? _All the fighting is attracting the bigger ones, and I doubt those came out from the tunnel._ "What's the situation at the wall?"

"Southern wall is under attack. Team CRDL had been stationed there beforehand to engage and I've been informed that Team KORL and Team RUST have been delivered to reinforce them. As of right now, the numbers of the Grimm aren't anywhere near enough to penetrate the wall."

KORL and RUST were both veteran teams, similar to CFVY. Coco was confident that they could handle it together. _Although I kind of hope they were a bit slow in getting to CRDL…_

No, she didn't mean that…not one hundred percent anyway. The members of CRDL were a bunch of jerks but even she couldn't bring herself to honestly wish for any of them to get seriously injured. They needed some adjusting of their attitudes and if CFVY or anyone else did it enough they might turn out to be somewhat decent.

"We're being transmitted a flight path from the Atlesian flagship that's clear of hostiles," the pilot spoke again. "On approach to the plaza." A few seconds went by and then, "Opening side bay doors."

The armored doors slid open as the Bullhead reached its destination. The one that opened behind Coco offered the best view of what was going on as the airship came to a hover and she rotated around to get a look, Fox stepping parallel to her while Velvet crouched down between them to begin searching for her friends.

_They've been busy._

What drew her attention first was the dead Taijitu, the last vestige of its linked bodies disintegrating. All around it, the creatures of Grimm fought with squads of AK-200 androids, bestial roars being answered with the chatter of rifles. Somewhere within the two mobs, Coco could see the colors of red, green, pink, yellow, blue – the bright hues worn by the various Hunters that fought together

Coco's gaze didn't stay long on the fighting as she lifted her chin up, her sunglasses concealing the frantic searching of her eyes as she examined the line of buildings, silently pleading that- _Son of a_ bitch _!_

It lay there in ruins. Her initial reaction was to deny it but she's been to it so many times and knew it so well that there was no mistake that the pile of debris was what she feared it to be, a letter S standing awkwardly on top as if to taunt her.

It was _Sohls._ Ranked second but to Coco there was no other clothing store that could surpass it no matter what anyone would say to her. Not with all the great deals that it provided along with it being a fashion industry favorite where the latest lines of famous brands would always be featured there first.

She had feared she was going to miss the fifteen, twenty, thirty event because of the lengthening of her mission and fortune had granted her with the thirty percent off deal. Lana Marine was to introduce her new line of ensembles.

Coco brought her sight back to the battle and she deliberately tilted her head at an angle that produced an ominous _pop_ from her neck. _Let's make some music._

There was no need for her to say a word. A few glances passed around, a nod of her head, and CFVY leapt clear of the Bullhead and fell towards the anarchy.

**~RWBY Soundtrack –** _ **Caffeine~** _

Likewise, there was no need for her to give a command when they landed. She and her teammates had fought together for too long that they instinctively knew their roles and how best to complement each other. As soon as they touched down, Fox and Velvet took their positions at the front, the speedier members bounding forward. Coco followed with a languid but confident strut that kept her position at the middle.

Yatsuhashi hung back, guarding their rear, and it was he who received first contact. Coco heard the growls that had her looking over her shoulder to see five Beowolves having arrived to prey on one of the new arrivals, brandishing claws and fangs at the big Huntsman.

 _They've got him surrounded._ The thought was devoid of worry and a corner of Coco's lip tipped up as Yatsuhashi, unperturbed, took his time to reach back and grasp the long handle of his sword. She faced forward again. _Dumb mutts._

There were the collective barks of the Beowolves, signaling their attack, which were interrupted by an enormous crash that came half a second before the ground quake. Coco lightly gripped her beret to keep it in place when she ducked her head down and one of the Beowolves went flying right over her, whining the whole while.

Fox and Velvet had engaged a group of the Grimm by this point. With a performance that did her heritage proud, the bunny faunus was hopping from one Grimm to another. The golden plates at her toes and heels were put to good use as Velvet sprung up to kick the head of Beowolf hard enough to send it stumbling back, and when she fell it was to drop her heel on top of a Creep, its hard head unable to stand against the power behind the blow that drove its face into the street.

She flipped over to another target while Fox took over. A curved blade severed the muscles in the leg of the Beowolf that Velvet stunned, toppling it over, and the dropping motion of Fox's elbow drove the pointed tip into the beast's throat. Wrenching it free, he rounded on the recovering Creep, slashing along the side of its long neck and cutting almost all the way through, leaving a thin strand of sinew to connect its head to its body that got it to bounce and roll when it collapsed.

Coco soon saw that a possible reason for Fox and Velvet's pickings – and maybe their haste – was due to the figures of red and white that were crouched nearby. Rather, the red one – Ruby – was crouched. The white-themed Weiss was down and resting her back against the trunk of a tree that had been cut down. Myrtenaster was resting nearby while its owner panted for breath.

Coco watched with some curiosity at how Ruby was holding tight to one of Weiss's hands with both of hers. The young leader's eyes were closed and Coco needed a moment to distinguish the red of the girl's Aura from the red of her cloak. It was not restricted to surrounding her as, at their joined hands, her Aura was spreading from her to Weiss.

_Is she…?_

She was. Red became pink which then turned to white. Coco began to make out Weiss's Aura and the reason she hadn't been able to see it before was because of how faint it had been. It was gradually growing stronger and Weiss's panting was lessening in intensity.

Coco's foot paused in mid-step when she was hit with the realization of what she was seeing. By then, Ruby opened her eyes, her and her partner's Auras vanishing, and she noticed Coco staring at her. Silver eyes widened in surprise and her jaw hung slightly ajar.

"Take five, girls," Coco advised, passing them a short grin. "You earned it."

"I, uh, sure!" she babbled, Coco unable to help but find it cute with how embarrassed the young girl looked even when in the middle of such a mess. Next to her, Weiss opened her scarred eye and gave Coco a weak wave of confirmation.

With the Grimm in the immediate area clear, Fox surveyed for a new target and found it in another grouping of the dark-spawned beasts. In particular, the Ursa Major that stood out among the rest. The Huntsman shot towards it, leaving even Velvet behind.

Though they were partners, Coco could still be impressed with just how much savagery that Fox would put in his assaults. In contrast to Yatsuhashi who possessed a serene state of mind despite the great strength he possessed, Fox's style was fitting to his name: swift but unrelenting – nimble but brutal.

That was the best way to describe it when Fox struck, the way he wielded his two blades akin to the clawing of an animal with a viciousness that exceeded that of the creatures of the Grimm. His scarred lips were pulled back, the gnashing of his teeth nearly animalistic as he tore into the Major that was helpless against his assault.

He finished by connecting the knuckles of his gauntlet into the chin of the Ursa, sending it up. Fox drew his fists back, holding them at the ready, and when the Major returned back down he thrust both forward and they hit the Grimm in unison.

He put his Aura behind that one. The Major had been shy of touching the ground when it was hit and it actually remained suspended. An unnatural distortion of its body occurred, an Aura-produced shockwave of concussive force channeling through it. Yet it didn't seem to do any lasting harm when the delay passed and the Major was thrown back into the middle of its brethren.

That was until its muscles bulged and swelled, its torso expanding like a balloon. And like any balloon that went beyond its limits, it popped with body parts flying everywhere.

Including its numerous spines that turned the Grimm around it into pincushions. Creeps, Beowolves, and Ursai fell with a few collecting as many as four or five of the spines that pierced into them.

Effective, although Coco wished that Fox gave a bit more thought into style and she wasn't just referring to the rags he typically wore. A volley of spines came her way and she casually swung her handbag to slap them aside. Nearby, Velvet shrunk away from a couple that tumbled towards her but was saved when Yatsuhashi stepped up to her, putting his armor-clad shoulder between the faunus and the projectiles which bounced off of it.

"Nice hustle, Fox," Coco complimented. Her critiquing aside, she couldn't argue with the results and she conveyed her appreciation with a pat on his butt when she strutted past him. "Good job."

He threw her a look but said nothing. Picking up on the subtle weight in her stride, he deciphered the message it carried and obediently hung back.

His leader needed to express some rage now.

A Beowolf was too kind to volunteer itself as the first of Coco's victims. An Alpha to boot, its jaws big enough to easily eat the glamorized girl whole but it chose to try to inspire fear with a heavy rumble that Coco felt vibrate through her body while the dagger-sized fangs snapped in her face.

She simply stood with a hand on a cocked hip, unimpressed. Her glasses slid down, revealing brown irises that were smoldering with a fury that had remained hidden till now. "You destroyed my favorite clothing store." She pushed her shades back to the bridge of her nose, turned her head, and spat a wad of saliva off to the side. The creature wasn't worth her spit. "Prepare to die."

She was insulted with how the Alpha raised a paw – the action done so slowly that she suspected that it was making another attempt to create and savor some terror from what it saw as prey before it killed it. She made it abundantly clear as to who the real prey was as, when the claws came down, her handbag came up, meeting and then knocking it away with such strength that the Alpha was taken off balance, leaving its groin open for a kick made directly to it.

Its reaction was the most human-like that Coco had ever seen, clutching where it had been hit while it dropped to its knees, moaning in pain. She bent forward, waiting until those soulless red orbs lifted and became locked with her black, empty lenses. Now the one that was being looked down upon, the next rumble that was produced from the back of the Beowolf's throat was significantly small and uncertain.

Coco felt a measure of fulfillment which was eclipsed when it was her who was swinging an attack down, her handbag pounding its head into the street. There was a brief moment of resistance before it gave way beneath the fashion accessory, the monster's skull caving in on itself.

A good start, but she wasn't close to feeling better. Fortunately, that was when the Alpha's pack came to avenge their leader. She let them do all the work of closing the distance and she carried out a similar fate to the rest of them, each unfortunate Grimm witnessing a deceptively harmless tote coming straight for them before a great force measuring in several tons struck and sent them flying with shattered bones.

The latest one she battered spun with the hit and she made sure that the point of her heel dug deep into its spine when she kicked it away. In the wake of the Beowolf though, she came face-to-face with a Death Stalker, its stinger already snapping forward and which she dodged away from.

Velvet appeared at her side, clutching her own combat tote that had the symbol of her stitched heart emblazoned on the side. She bent into a ready position, hand hovering over it as she focused on the Death Stalker.

"Hey!" Coco held a hand to stop her. "You used all semester building that up."

Velvet blinked at her with bewilderment but obeyed, relaxing her stance while her hand fell away from her tote.

"Don't waste it here," Coco added, strolling back towards the Death Stalker. Besides, she was still far from satisfied.

There was a flick of her wrist that was timed with a pulse of her Aura directed to her handbag. The sides of the tote suddenly slid up while the bottom dropped, unveiling an enormous drum magazine. Six large gun barrels extended and linked together. What was just a handbag a second ago became a minigun, its size comically huge when compared to the one who hefted it.

But level it she did and Coco squeezed the triggering mechanism that had formed in the handle.

The six barrels spun, emitting a low whine which evolved into a roaring chorus of two-thousand rounds per minute as they fired. With the protection of her shades, the flaming muzzle flash didn't inhibit her sight and her strength allowed her to brace against the recoil that resonated through her bones in a more powerful and gratifying manner, hair and clothing whipping behind her.

The results were as glorious, a trench being chewed across the entirety of the plaza before it reached the Death Stalker. It didn't' stand a chance, the barrage bursting its exoskeleton apart and its exposed insides blew up into tiny pieces. Coco began sweeping her gun to the right, exterminating the remains of the Beowolf pack just as easily.

Much more inviting targets came into her view. Up above, those three Giant Nevermores that she had been informed about earlier came flying over, looking to partake in the center of the action.

What they found was their doom as Coco effortlessly hefted the barrels up. She drew a line from tail to beak of the center one, the high-impact, high-speed rounds cutting like a knife that split the Nevermore in two. A quick left-to-right motion sent dozens more drilling into the bodies of the other two which jerked and went limp.

 _Ah,_ Coco inwardly sighed, relaxing on the trigger and basking in the pleasurable trembles of her form that came after firing her weapon for such an extended amount of time. It never got old, and there was the addition to the tremors beneath her boots that occurred when the dead Nevermores came crashing into the city somewhere behind her.

She felt a little better now, but she still had plenty of ammo left and there were still more Grimm to kill. She strolled towards another section of the Grimm-infested plaza, her team falling in behind her as their objective for today was to make their bad day good again.

* * *

Coco wasn't the only vengeful woman on the warpath, and any Grimm that strayed too close were as brutally taken out. One Creep unwisely chose to make a charge at her and found itself crashing right into an invisible wall before being violently thrown back, a flash of purple being the only sign of its attacker.

_Out of all the…_

A snap of a crop towards a Beowolf had its head turning and then spinning around once and then twice, its neck making the appropriate sounds of a crumbling vertebrae until its snout was pointed one way and the rest of its torso another.

_Methods they could've used._

An Ursa wailed at the immense pressure that came down on its back, any attempts to stand being instantly proven useless when it and a section of the street it was standing on collapsed a good meter down.

_They dared to do something like this?_

Glynda Goodwitch stomped towards the plaza, not even giving any Grimm that desired a piece of her a glance before the tip of her crop thrusting in their direction sent them either flying or their bodies being twisted and bent in such gruesome fashion.

Either that blind or that stupid, a Beowolf loped into her path to bar her way. It bent low, baring its fangs at her. The professor had her crop half-raised when, instead of a telekinetic attack, a tiny missile of pure _fluff_ suddenly appeared and impacted against the Grimm, knocking it out.

The unexpected sight was the only thing that gave Glynda pause as she stared incredulously down at a furry, triangular head with a snout tipped with a wet nose. The dog – a corgi, she recognizing the breed – stared up at her with its watery eyes and hanging tongue before greeting her with some happy barks.

_What's a dog doing here?_

"The pet of our own Ruby Rose!" a familiar voice answered as if the person could read her mind. "Quite a faithful companion, although I suppose it should be expected."

"Bartholomew!" Glynda stated as her fellow teacher approached, the man appearing unharmed. "Where are the girls?"

"Doing what they're trained to do of course." He waved his torch to where the worst of the fighting was. "Last I saw, they were all alive so no need to fret!"

"Indeed, no need to fret," Peter Port agreed, joining them while surveying the landscape in a way one would if they were out on a safari. "Barty, it appears it is you I find at the center of the action this time!"

"I can attest that this was not a planned occurrence," Bartholomew admitted. "It seems our malcontents are rather resourceful."

"Not the word I would use," Glynda replied agitatedly. "Can we please focus on putting an end to this?"

Bartholomew nodded sagely. "Why yes, that is probably our more immediate concern at this very moment. I think what needs to be done is pretty self-explanatory."

Glynda's response was rather dry as the overturned train and the subway tunnel it came out of was well in their sight. "Indeed."

"Then we shall leave it to you, Glynda my dear!" Port produced his blunderaxe and held it high before regarding Bartholomew. "My fellow Huntsman, shall we act as the gentlemen to escort the lady to her destination?"

Bartholomew smiled and tapped his torch against one of the axe blades. "I am always eager to contribute in the maintaining of chivalry as our most integral part of history."

"Then tally-ho, I say!"

Glynda sighed with exasperation. Near her feet, the corgi tilted his head at the Huntsmen before staring up at her and sounding a questioning yip.

"You get used to it," she replied, leaving out the part of just how long it took her to get to that point.

The flow of the Grimm had begun to ebb with the latest arrivals being a pair of Beowolves. Port set the barrel of his blunderaxe on top of a forearm and pressed the stock against his shoulder to steady his aim. The particularly loud report was typical of such an archaic weapon as well as the flaming steel ball that left the flared muzzle, punching a hole right through one of the wolves. The other he came in close to finish, spinning his weapon around in his hand so that he could cleave it in two with the axe portion.

The way clear, Oobleck stepped to his friend's side, both of them now at the mouth of the hole. Pointing his torch down, a spray of fire filled the subway tunnel, the cries of the Grimm soon following.

With the horde being temporarily held at bay, Glynda made use of the window that her coworkers provided. She pointed her crop towards the breach, her Aura briefly flaring as she activated her Semblance.

She took care of the train first. The locomotive itself had to weigh nearly a hundred tons and that wasn't counting the cars that she would have to move with it. However, something like size and weight were inconsequential when it came to the developed Aura of a full-class Huntress. In addition, it was a Huntress who had plenty of practice at cleaning up such messes during her career at Beacon.

The telekinetic power of her Semblance stretched out and she mentally seized the locomotive. With immense concentration she started to move it. The screeching of the train sliding against the ground alerted Bartholomew and Peter, both of them backing away so as not to get caught when the train was forced back through the subway tunnel, blocking and potentially crushing what Grimm that were inside and in the way.

When the plow at the front sank back into the tunnel, that concluded what was actually the easy part. The more difficult part was when Glynda turned her efforts towards the chunks of concrete and other debris that were scattered around.

Her Semblance went beyond simply moving objects as years of training and honing it had allowed it develop to greater heights. By encompassing her control around the pieces of an object that was broken, she was granted with a clairvoyance that allowed her to intuitively know how the pieces had once fit together. It was like a puzzle with each piece that she touched fitting themselves in her mind to create what had once been whole.

Once she had the completed picture in her mind, it was all about constructing it in reality.

The chunks nearby mirrored the train, sliding towards the hole. The ones that had been blasted farther away were lifted and then hovered over. Glynda's brow twitched, the only sign of the mental strain that she experienced as she sorted each fragment – from as small as a palm-sized stone to as big as an automobile. She laid them out over the breach, fitting them together so perfectly that the edges fused together as to her will, the pressure that was forcing them to do so restoring their very structure.

When Glynda lowered her crop, the street had been restored with nary a sign of the breach that had ruptured it – all smooth and unbroken pavement.

It was over.

* * *

Over inside the city. Outside, Cardin Winchester was still fighting for his life.

He held up his mace in defense, spotting a Beowolf bounding towards him. Shortly after he spotted it though, a lengthy cord suddenly whipped out from nowhere, it being so long that it wrapped around the Beowolf several times over, binding it. The Grimm fell over, struggling against its restraints.

The cord held and, before Cardin's eyes, it started to glow red and at such intensity that he needed to feel the heat to understand that it was actually superheating to the point where it was red hot. The Beowolf began howling, fur burning away.

And then the cord got so hot it burned _through_ the beast, splitting it into several smoking pieces.

It shortened and retreated into a handle, revealing it to be a whip wielded by one of the members of KORL. The light of the heated whip faded as did that of an active Burn Crystal, one of several that were loaded in the cylinder of the handle that identified itself as an example of the Multi-Dust Action system that had been adopted by a number of Hunters with Russel being one with his daggers.

Nearby, another trainee of the reinforcing Hunter teams – RUST – was also fighting. A fox faunus with red shoulder-length hair and ears that had fur of the same color. She had the string of a bow drawn back, a slitted pupil looking down an arrow as she aimed. The head of the arrow glowed similarly to the whip, but it was green instead of red and the crystal that was powering it was actually a small gemstone that was stitched in the glove of the faunus's shooting hand.

She released the arrow, the projectile flying through a crowd of Grimm. It struck an Ursa right in its forehead, the arrow piercing the bone mask and its brain. It was not just the Ursa that died though as, during the arrow's travel, razor-sharp gusts of wind had followed in its wake. They blew and cut through nearby Grimm like steel, easily a score falling to the magic of Nature's Wrath.

With two veteran teams boosting the ranks of the defenders, the Grimm were dropping like flies. But there were still more and more, the defensive cannons of the wall firing both explosive and energy-based munitions that were lobbed towards the forest where more Grimm were arriving from.

And then there was the Goliath. Having been lumbering towards the wall, it had only now gotten in range that the artillery began hitting it. Explosives blossomed along its hide and armor but when the smoke cleared the damage was shown to be negligible. The Goliath itself didn't seem to feel them, only raising its trunk and letting out a trumpet that shook Cardin to the very core while motivating the Grimm in their assault.

They were doing fine now, but Cardin feared of how that could change once the Goliath reached them. _How can we possibly stop that?_

By having humanity deploy their own awesome creations against that of the darkness.

They flew over the wall side-by-side with a generous distance between them – the Atlesian dreadnaughts. With the air clear and the smaller escort airships making sure that it would stay that way, the two warships were unmolested as they stabbed dominantly ahead, leaving the city and its defenders as they took firing positions at either side of the main bulk of the Grimm horde.

Coming to a hover, the dreadnaughts tilted a few degrees to better direct their flanks down towards the rampaging monsters. Along their hulls, a brief light show was performed along their surfaces, signaling their weapons charging.

They made it rain fire. Columns of destructive energy in a massed fire barrage poured down on the Grimm.

Cardin had heard the stories and he couldn't help but stand transfixed at seeing it for himself. This was an aerial bombardment, something that which was made famous by the Atlesian air fleet but had drifted off into obscurity during the eighty years of peace that had followed after the last major battle that involved their use came to an end. This was probably the very first time that these warships were able to perform in such a way.

And a terrifying performance it was. Those energy beams vaporized everything they touched. Where one blast hit, numerous Grimm were consumed in the following explosion – their silhouette seen for a brief instant before they vanished completely. They burned through the grass and vegetation and shattered the ground before burning whatever was beneath that.

The bombardment didn't even last a minute, the dreadnaughts systematically wiping out each and every last Grimm that was trapped within the killzone. When the fire ceased, what was left behind was the charred and broken wasteland that contained no sign of life whatsoever.

The only thing left to stand and observe the destruction was the Goliath. After making a slow sweep of its head to inspect the damage, it gazed up towards the hovering warships. Its trunk lifted and it blared in defiance.

The dreadnaughts fired again.

Even a Grimm of such might as the Goliath stood no chance. The second salvo hammered into it and the behemoth ducked its head while its titanic legs braced, trying to weather through the storm.

The fire was concentrated at its back. All along it, the bone armor boiled away, creating gaps that sucked up the energy that drilled into its hide. Beneath the fire came the pained roar of the Goliath.

Inevitably, its back broke.

What would've been an exceptionally loud snap of bone was muted by the continued bombardment, but there was no missing the sight of how the Goliath folded in on itself as its back broke in two. But the attack didn't waver, not even when the energy beams began burning through the beast's belly, having managed to drill through it and incinerate its insides.

The dreadnaughts only stopped when all that became left of the Goliath was a boiling, black hunk of meat with two warped pieces of ivory that had been its tusks jutting out from it. Only then was the battle officially considered as over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I'll be getting the last chapter done before the premiere of Volume 3. I think I have a good chance since it'll be NOTHING like this.


	13. Queen's Gambit

Sometimes, there were days where Roman could be very impressed with himself. This was one of those days.

Since, by all rights, he should be dead right now.

He had woken up in the train. For how long he had been lying there he wasn't sure, but had quickly managed to deduce that he was alone. There was no bothersome cat faunus, or any faunus in fact. Nor was there Neo or anyone else. Only a very irritating droning.

It took him a little longer to realize that the noise was in fact the chorus of growls and roars of a horde of Grimm that were right outside the train.

No other wake-up call could've shocked him so as that did, nor could anything match the freezing of the blood in his veins when he pieced together what was going on. The plan had succeeded. They had penetrated Vale, the Grimm were probably taking a very thorough tour of the city at this very moment.

And he was right in the middle of them.

As it stood, this was not exactly how he imagined where he would be at this stage of the operation. He had imagined himself several miles away from it really.

It was undoubtedly thanks to the Grimm deciding that they had much better pickings elsewhere that Roman wasn't currently seeing a Beowolf gnawing on his leg or something as gruesome. The only obstacle that he had to get out from was a crate that had tipped and fell half onto him. Nothing a little squirming couldn't fix, and Roman was given a tiny reward in the form of Melodic Cudgel lying and waiting for him to take once he was free.

Though he had his health and his weapon all checked out and ready to get out of the death trap, Roman nonetheless lingered, taking a look around just as he was about to attempt the feat of sneaking on out. When he found no hint of what he was looking for and was about to leave with a heavy heart, he found the tip of the feather sticking out and he reacquired his hat.

Navigating through the train cars was, as one would expect, quite harrowing. The Grimm ignored the train completely, but he had to watch his step and the rents in the metal could give any of the monsters a glance inside and of him if they happened to look over. He also had to keep his calm. He couldn't let himself be overly fearful of the noises that they made. The hissing, the squealing, the growling – a symphony of sounds that, at any moment, could be directed towards him and sing for his death. They bumped and all-out bashed into the train in their hurry to get to the surface.

Crossing into the next car in line had to be the worst; that second of venturing out into the open where any Grimm could spot him before he ducked into the next. Each crossing assailed him with doubts and fears of how the doors may be stuck, that he'd be left out in the open, and it would only take a single Grimm to bring a dozen of its brethren down on him.

A couple times, once he completed his crossing, there came curious tapping of the door he closed behind him – a Grimm that had, for just a moment, picked up on his fear or his scent and was attempting a brief investigation before it gave up and continued on into the city.

In spite of the exorbitant amount of opportunities that could've led to his discovery, it was when he was performing another crossing did Roman encounter not the darkened, closed-in space of the subway tunnel, but the open sky and the bright sun above.

He had about five seconds to enjoy his success before the train started getting pushed back into the tunnel, threatening to take him with it and undo everything.

There was no more room for caution. Roman jumped clear and made for the closest hiding spot that he could find.

It was through the broken doorway of a shop that he was able to get a full picture of what had gone on while he had been out. The Grimm, as he suspected, were loose. What he did not expect, however, were their low spread and numbers which were getting thinner thanks to the Atlesian Knights and, of course, Hunters. Nor were they about to get reinforced as he soon spotted a very familiar blonde Huntress with a purple cape sealing the subway tunnel.

 _That would be my exit cue,_ he recognized. Once that Huntress turned her back to him, Roman repeated his same strategy as before – stealthily moving down the street and taking what cover he could as he attempted to make it out from the plaza.

Even though he was so focused on not getting caught, Roman was already beginning to think of his next step. The plan, he decided, was ruined. He delivered the Grimm as promised but something told him that this was far from what Cinder had wanted. The death and destruction was far from the scale that it could've been had everything gone on as scheduled.

The notion of actually trying to appear at Cinder's feet and explain the situation in hopes of mercy was one he immediately laughed at. No, if there was one thing life experience taught him, it was not to depend on logical explanations and good graces – not for something like this. He'd be lucky to get a couple words in before Cinder turned him into a pile of charred bones with Emerald sweeping up his remains and waxing the floor in order to make it spotless for her to walk on again.

His only strategy – and one that he happened to best at – was to run. He did have to question whether even someone like him could hide from Cinder as he had gleaned enough from their cooperation to get a better idea of just what she was capable of but what other option did he have? None whatsoever. He'll take his chances.

He still needed to get out of Vale first and Roman halted when he saw the latest snag: an entire line of the VPD's finest that was cutting off his escape route.

Roman knew enough of the area that the only other way out was to go back, cross through the plaza, and go down to the other side. He rejected the idea immediately, not only because that meant trying to get past the many Hunters and androids – who he knew would find him as he expected the rest of the Grimm to be gone by then – but most likely that exit was just as closed off.

Plan B: hide, wait until they came in to take stock of the damage, and sneak away during then. He wished that he could contact Neo – if she was still around or even alive for that matter – or some other support but he noticed early on that his comm bead had fallen out of his ear whether because of the crash or his defeat at the hands of Blake.

The criminal slunk into a building at random, backing away into a corner. So intent on keeping watch outside so as to make sure to confirm that no one had seen him, he didn't realize he wasn't alone until he backed into a wall.

A wall that breathed deep and blew hot air down his neck.

 _Maybe if I ignore it-_ Roman began until a growl interrupted that train of thought and forced him to rotate around so that he could stare directly into the red pits of an Ursa Minor. "…Come here often?"

He was thrown through the broken window of the building, grunting when he hit the street, Melodic Cudgel coming free from his grip.

The Ursa that attacked him stood within the window and was joined by another. This second Ursa had something clamped between its jaws – a piece of the shop owner or an unlucky civilian that had been cornered and caught by the pair, explaining why it was that they had denned inside there. It released it when it decided that it would prefer the fresh victim right in front of it.

Roman rolled onto his stomach, looking and finding Melodic Cudgel only a short distance away. He hurriedly crawled towards it, stretching a hand out when he was close enough to reach for it.

A huge paw landed and put itself between Roman and his cane, attached to a tree trunk-like leg. A head dipped down so that a third Ursa could inspect its catch. As his luck had run out and was currently spiraling way down, this third Ursa was a Major.

And if things weren't bad enough already, they got _worse_.

When the two Minors left the building to join their mama bear in their next meal, bullets were shot and came drilling into their sides, picking them off. A couple rounds deflected off the more armored hide of the Major, doing little more than to aggravate it as it turned and snarled at the interruption.

Roman couldn't see who was responsible, but what he did see were two curved blades that scratched at the white bone of the Ursa before hooking and sinking deep into its back. A thin chain was attached to each and they went taut so that the latest arrival could come swinging in, passing beneath the Major before being sent above it. The hooks cut deep lines before they were freed and returned to their wielder who twirled in the air and lashed out with them again.

The attack got the Major to stumble and flail about as it tried to hit its assailant, inadvertently clearing the way for Roman to regain possession of Melodic Cudgel. It wasn't needed, not for the Major, as the Grimm's attempts to beat at its attacker were met with the individual deftly passing over or under its strikes, those sickle blades designed for the maximum amount of cruelty to catch and rend deep into the meat of its target.

However, it wasn't the Major that Roman was threatened by.

The beast was brought to an end after one haphazard swing bared its stomach to the tearing of the blades. Surrendering to the dozens of deep cuts made all over its body, the Major slumped and then fell over altogether, issuing one last groan before it went motionless and began the process of disintegration.

Emerald Sustrai kept her sickles poised, directing them forebodingly towards Roman.

Roman took note of another presence to his right and found the smirking visage of Mercury. "Who's the rat scurrying across the streets now?"

"Hardy har," Roman responded with sarcasm but was already tensing, registering how the two brats were positioned to keep him cornered as they regarded him.

"You screwed up, Roman," Emerald condemned, one mantis-like claw twitching in what he believed to be the direction of his throat.

"Hey now," Roman replied, holding up his hands in a placating manner but, really, it was to get his cane at a better position to react to whatever attack that was going to come at him from the most likely angles. "I did my part."

"Your _part_ ," she hissed, "isn't supposed to be until days later."

"Ah, yes. Well, as anyone with half a brain can figure out, there were some unavoidable complications that forced me to hasten that particular step. I would think that the two of you together could reach that much on your own."

"Oh?" Mercury tilted his head with a grin, arms crossed, but there was the discernable weight that was present in his back foot. "Well, I'm thinking that any of that blame can be placed squarely on you."

"I fail to see how you came to that conclusion. You were the ones that were at Beacon. Excuse me for thinking that you two would actually prove to do something useful like warn me about a Hunter team that was being sent to snoop around." Roman singled out Emerald. "I don't remember you mentioning anything like that in our last chat."

There was murder in the girl's eyes and he was ready for the inevitable strike that the quaking of her weapons said was on the verge of being sent his way. Yet, strangely, it didn't come. Nor did Mercury make any move. The two were broadcasting the right signals and the amount of violence that wanted to be unleashed in his direction but neither of them were obeying those murderous urges.

Eventually, Roman was beginning to grow stiff with how long he was waiting before he asked, "So how are we going to do this?"

Emerald gritted her teeth, looking like she was about to spring at him, but a grunt from Mercury stopped her. A silent communiqué was passed between them, the cockier of the pair seeming to actually be stepping up to some responsibility to take Emerald's reins with an expression of warning.

 _Now why would he be doing that?_ Roman wondered.

Whatever the reason, it was to the criminal's amazement that Emerald _obeyed_. Her weapons lowered until they were pointed to the street and she clamped down on her killer instincts with a set jaw. When she addressed Roman again, there was still a longing for his life and she was struggling with its suppression when she ground out, "We're to move on to our next phase."

Roman blinked, the admission so surprising that his defenses fell when he translated the meaning behind it. _Oh._ He couldn't help it as his brows jolted way up. _Oooooooh!_

Emerald's blades folded and locked into their places beneath the barrels of her revolvers. While she shoved them into her holsters with enough force that she threatened to tear them right off, Mercury took a step towards Roman and held out a hand, his chin motioning for Melodic Cudgel.

Roman gave them a glance each before he flipped his cane around and began holding it out to Mercury, handle first. "So when can I expect the displeasure of seeing your faces again?"

"Too soon," was Emerald bitten off response, arms crossed tight to her chest, refusing to look at him.

"Ah. Well, in that case…" Mercury's fingers were just about to close around his cane before he suddenly thrust it forward, the curved handle hitting him hard in his stomach.

Emerald spun her head around at Mercury's explosive exhale, surprised, but before she could even make a move to reacquire her weapons, Melodic Cudgel came whipping around and cracked across her cheek. While she was rocked back, Roman returned to Mercury, lifted his cane, and caught the high kick that he sent sloppily at him, still recovering from the jab. Roman hooked his handle around his ankle and Mercury snarled in pain when Roman twisted weapon and limb, the latter at such an angle that Mercury was forced to drop to a knee at Roman's urging.

A _click_ sounded right next to Roman's head.

"Ah, ah, ah!" he interrupted, lifting one hand in surrender while he kept his other on his cane to keep Mercury down.

Emerald glared down at him with utter loathing, a visible imprint of Melodic Cudgel on her brown cheek. The barrel of her revolver pressed right against his temple with her finger tight around the trigger.

With slow movements, Roman freed Mercury of his cane before standing, now with both hands up. The gun remained against his head the whole time and Roman admitted to maybe pushing his luck, able to recognize that Emerald's control was hanging on by a very delicate thread.

"Gotta make it look good," he said and motioned his head to the side.

She was smart enough to learn from her previous lesson of taking her eyes off him. After a tense moment and only when Mercury had recovered and was similarly glaring at Roman, Emerald glanced where directed.

Coming down the street towards them was Red. With her, a faunus with bunny ears and a trio of Atlesian Knights.

Roman casually held out his cane to Mercury again, and the boy didn't waste any time in relieving him of it. "A little adult lesson before you kiddies go back to mommy." Roman placed his hands behind his head. "When you find yourselves with the first shot, always take it."

"Hey, you guys got Torchwick!" Red said as soon as she arrived, smiling at Emerald and Mercury. "Good job!"

Emerald finally lowered her weapon and turned a very strained smile towards the cloaked girl. "It was no sweat."

That was all she could say and Roman was able to see how it _killed_ her. It was hilarious and way worth whatever she would do when they saw each other again.

It seemed that Cinder still had a use for him after all. That, he decided, was enough peace of mind to keep him going until the process repeated all over again.

And if he was honest with himself, a part of him couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

* * *

With the breach sealed, it was a simple matter for the gathered defenders of Vale to clean up the rest of the Grimm. Once the last Beowolf had fallen, the police and other emergency services took over, driving onto the scene to inspect the damages and perform thorough sweeps of survivors or the off chance that a creature of Grimm had enough developed self-preservation instincts to hide once they realized that the battle had become very one-sided.

This included the arrival of a couple airships that landed on the cleared landing zones. One, an Atlesian dropship, came to take custody of Roman Torchwick.

"Oh I can't believe that you've caught me," Roman mocked as Emerald and Mercury handed him over to a pair of AK-200s. "You've really taught me the error of my ways."

One Knight seized him by the arm and yanked him roughly towards the boarding ramp of the dropship. Apparently its friendlier programming did not extend to criminals.

"Hey, hey!" Roman restraightened his bowler that had tipped. "Watch the hat!"

The other ship to land was a Bullhead for Team RWBY to take them back to Beacon. With three other Hunter teams and professors in the area to keep watch on the off chance that the Grimm still roamed, there was no need for RWBY to remain, the exhausted team being relieved from their duties.

Ruby didn't make any kind of insistence on staying. One look at her teammates and she was able to see what everyone else did and probably why the Bullhead was called for them in the first place. They had done more than enough for today; it was time for them to rest.

While they all boarded, Oobleck walked alongside Ruby. "You've done a commendable job, Ruby – you and your team." He stopped at the edge of the ramp, Ruby traveling up halfway before she looked back to see him smiling at her. "Rest well with the knowledge that you all demonstrated just what it means to be Huntresses today. This," he pointed back to the plaza, "is why we are here. This is why we fight. This is our reward."

A line came to Ruby's mind, one influenced by years of listening to those heroic tales and playing pretend in her home. It was the most heroic – and corniest, as Yang once told her when she had heard it in the next room – one that happened to be her favorite. "It's the only one I need."

There was no pretending at just how much she meant it.

Oobleck smiled in approval. "Cherish it well." The ramp lifted and he and Ruby remained there all the way until it closed and took them from each other's sight.

Ruby walked deeper into the belly of the Bullhead and saw that her friends had each taken their seats. To her left, Yang had taken a whole bench for herself to lie face down with arms and legs sprawled about. Blake stood over her, smiling a little before asking, "Care to make some room?"

"Yeah, sure," Yang mumbled tiredly, scooting as much as she could to open up a spot for Blake.

The faunus took the cleared space before grabbing the back of Yang's jacket and tugging her over.

"What, you want more- oh," Yang began to complain until her head was brought on top of Blake's lap. "Nevermind, this is fine." She nuzzled into her pillow. "Totally fine."

Blake just smiled, hand brushing along her curls.

Despite her usual emphasis on posture, Weiss couldn't maintain it against the gathered fatigue. Across from the bumblebee pair, she was resting her back against the bulkhead, eyes closed, but she found it in her to devote a hand to rubbing Zwei's head, the corgi having acquired similar attention from her by hopping onto her lap. Ruby chose a spot next to the two, Weiss opening an eye to give her a glance before closing it again.

They all felt the tremor and heard the muffled whine of engines as the Bullhead powered on, ascended, and then took off towards Beacon.

Towards home.

A leisurely quiet filled the passenger compartment of the airship, the Huntresses content to just sit and relax, but Yang rolled over so that she could smile up at her faunus girlfriend and say, "Well, we did it."

"We did it," Blake returned with the same expression.

Weiss didn't bother opening her eyes when she said, "If we don't get extra credit for this, I'm going to be seriously disappointed."

Yang looked over at her. "Weiss, a two-headed snake literally crushed a bakery. I wouldn't count on it."

"Plus, I mean, we didn't solve everything," Ruby added with a frown. She wanted to relish in this flush of success at a mission completed but now that they actually had time to think about all that had happened, she began to realize that things weren't perfect. Thinking of the terror of those who had been hounded by the Grimm and the pilots of the dropship that had helped her only for it to be taken down, she said, "A lot of people were hurt, and we still don't even know why they did this or who that mystery girl was."

"Not every story has a neat and tiding ending," Weiss pointed out.

The frown remained to weigh down Ruby's features. She had wanted her story to be more like that.

"We might not have all the answers," Blake conceded, "but we do have a lot of dangerous people behind bars, and I think that's something we can be proud of."

"Yeah…" Ruby slowly nodded, her lips turning up when she repeated it with more enthusiasm. "Yeah! And if anyone tries something like this again, we'll be there to stop them!"

It wasn't over, but what kind of story would it be if it just ended now? There were still threats out there but hadn't she known that when she wanted to be the Huntress who would defend the world from them and make it better in the process? This had only been one conflict of the many that she intended to take part in and settle in the future.

Yang held up a hand to hide a yawn before raising it up high. "Yeeeaaah…teamwork, camaraderie." She moved it in an exhausted imitation of a victory wave. "Go guys, go team…" It fell back against her chest. "Alright, good job."

Ruby stifled a giggle, amused but also boosted. They had done a job well done – and only in their first year! They still had plenty more training to go through and knowledge to acquire and by the time the next threat came to endanger Vale, they'll be even better equipped to handle it!

They didn't say anything else for the rest of their flight to Beacon and though the fatigue was creeping up on her, there was something very uplifting about seeing the familiar towers that had Ruby bouncing up to her feet when they reached the air pads.

"I'm going to sleep forever," Yang murmured as she and Blake disembarked.

"Absolutely," Blake agreed. With her hand currently clasped in Yang's, it struck Ruby that the faunus seemed less shy of showing such affection. Probably in response to this success of their mission and the young leader was happy to witness it, regardless of it being most likely temporary.

While about to follow the two out onto the main path that would lead into the campus, Ruby felt someone suddenly grip her by the wrist, stopping her. It wasn't soft or loving as the one shared by the girlfriends but noticeably tight. "I need to speak to you."

There was no warmth in Weiss's tone or in her features when Ruby turned and saw her partner staring at her. Not staring - the tightness in her eyes more reminiscent to glowering.

"You guys coming?" Yang asked, noticing how they weren't following her or Blake.

"Oh, yeah, in a bit!" Ruby called, stumbling for an explanation. "Weiss and I are just gonna…enjoy the view for a bit! Yeah! We'll catch up!"

The blonde and the faunus both gave them suspicious looks, but Ruby could see how the exhaustion crushed any thoughts of satisfying curiosity as, with a tired shrug, Yang decided to continue walking with Blake, tossing back a, "Don't take too long."

Ruby was waving at the backs of her teammates before a forceful tug put an end to it. She stumbled a step, recovered, and she regarded the back of Weiss's head with a question that the heiress didn't turn around to answer, instead pulling her over to the edge of the airpad.

Weiss was angry. Ruby didn't know why but the slight digging of Weiss's nails in her skin that matched the icy bristling of her Aura that the leader could feel through this direct contact was more than enough for her to know that she was upset about something.

Rather than go with Blake and Yang, Zwei had chosen to stick with the other half of RWBY and padded along behind them, all the way to the edge where Weiss eventually sat down, letting her legs dangle over the side. The pressure that she kept up on Ruby's wrist coerced the younger girl to take a spot next to her.

"Weiss, what's wrong?" Ruby asked when Weiss let go.

She didn't say what it was just yet, instead lifting a hand for silence. As to why, Ruby figured it out when the Bullhead, now empty of passengers, powered back on and lifted itself off the airpad. The engines tilted to point backwards and a boost of power soon had it flying back towards Vale.

Ruby watched it go, unconsciously bringing a hand up to rub Zwei's head when her pet came to her side and nudged her arm, wanting attention. Tracking the Bullhead brought her gaze to two Atlesian dreadnaughts that were suspended over Vale. Once having just stuck to hovering around the city, they were now actively patrolling around its borders, guarding the kingdom for any possibility of a renewed Grimm attack.

The sight of the warships reminded her of their success which only increased her confusion as to why Weiss was angry.

"You're making this very difficult for me," Weiss said unexpectedly.

Ruby's hand froze on top of Zwei, dog and owner regarding her with dubious tilts of their heads. "What do you mean?"

"That's the problem, isn't it?" Weiss sneered, still staring out towards Vale. "That you don't know, even after all the times that you've done it."

Ruby didn't reply, mostly because she didn't know how to. She had no idea what Weiss was talking about and her uncertain blinking said it all.

Weiss glanced over, becoming even more frigid at Ruby's cluelessness. "Fine, let's go over just what it is you've done." She raised her hand from before again and stuck up a finger. "You went off your own at Mountain Glenn. You didn't give us as so much as a word of what you were doing. You just followed a couple White Fang guards in the middle of the night that were heading right to their base without backup and you were caught."

"But I tried!" Ruby quickly defended. "When I found out about their base, I tried to call you guys but my scroll couldn't get a signal!"

"You should've came back and told us from the beginning."

"I was afraid that they were going to be gone by the time I got you guys." Ruby frowned in offense at Weiss's accusations. "They were the only signs we had of the White Fang and I couldn't give that up!"

"Even if it meant putting yourself in a position that could've endangered your life as it clearly did?"

Ruby opened her mouth, the urge to protest getting her to do so until, when she tried to voice an answer, nothing came to her.

Weiss waited until her leader closed her mouth and then she brought up a second finger. "The CCT."

"That again?"

"Yes," Weiss confirmed testily. "That again. You saw something, you went off on your own, and got into a fight with a dangerous person. What, may I ask, stopped you from contacting us when you realized just what kind of trouble there was?"

Ruby felt that instinctive desire to protest again but her lips didn't even part when sense hit her. What had immediately came to mind when she saw that dark figure was to pursue on her own and let her teammates continue to have fun. It might've just been nothing. But then she saw the knocked out guards, had pulled out her scroll…and called Crescent Rose.

It would've only taken just another second to send an emergency call to her teammates or one of the Hunters of Beacon. Whether she would've taken the time to wait for them or not, if she had gone in after that then she would've done so with backup on the way. If she had done that…maybe things would've played out differently. Maybe they could've caught the intruder and one of those loose ends that she had just been complaining about could've been tied up.

But her one and only thought at that moment was to arm herself, go in there, and take on the danger head-on.

Weiss nodded briskly at the second round of silence. "You made a promise before this whole thing started – a promise which convinced me to take part in all this. You said that we would work together as a team. That we wouldn't rush into things. That we would do it _together_."

Ruby grimaced at the last, bowing her head beneath the accusation in those cold eyes. She _had_ promised, with those exact words. Yet, as her partner just pointed out, where had she kept it during the situations which she just spoke of?

"It wasn't just that," Weiss corrected and began throwing up more fingers. "The ridiculous idea of riding a Nevermore at initiation."

"You agreed to that-" Ruby started to say but was ignored, her partner throwing up another finger.

"Rushing into that Death Stalker by yourself."

Ruby shut her mouth again, the memory coming all too clearly of being pinned in place by a giant feather with that stinger about to run her through.

Another finger. "The Bewolves from before." Another. "The first thing you've ever done to get into Beacon was chase after Torchwick during the Dust robbery."

 _What was I supposed to have done?_ she thought, wanted to say it out loud, but she knew what was coming as Weiss threw up one last finger.

"The docks."

Seven fingers. Seven moments of carelessness that had started since even before she went to Beacon and had kept on going to now.

"But...we're Huntresses," Ruby meekly defended. "Danger is a part of what we do."

Those fingers were thrust forward and Weiss drilled, " _This_ much danger? Let me ask you, who else – our teammates, JNPR, _any_ of our friends – has run into this much?"

Ruby didn't have to say it; they both knew the answer, and Weiss dropped her hands when they were no longer needed.

"I also made a promise." The heiress's voice softened. "I promised you that I would be the best teammate you ever had."

"You are-"

Weiss instantly interrupted with a shrill, "Then let me help you!"

Ruby jerked away, silvers huge with alarm, and Zwei snapped to the heiress with ears standing on end.

"You don't understand what this is doing to me," Weiss explained, words still sharp. "Ruby, that night on the docks, you _died._ You weren't breathing and your heart _stopped._ I was the one who brought you back so no one understands better than me as to just how far you were gone." Bitterly, she added, "Not even you, it seems."

Ruby was still too shocked to act when Weiss snagged a fistful of her cloak and held the red fabric out to her, bunched between her fingers. "Your blood was on my hands and during the days after that I thought that I could…that I could never get it off."

Her voice lowered again and the cloak slipped through weakening fingers. Tears were brimming but Weiss was stubbornly holding them back with a continued expression of anger despite how the emotion behind it was giving out as she whispered, "Before I met you, I learned to stop feeling. I didn't want to feel anything anymore, not with how many people had been dying because of my name. And yet I gave a piece of myself to you. Because we were friends. Because I…"

Her teeth clenched, something in Weiss holding it back before she pushed out with, "Because I _cared_ about you. After so long, you became a person that I wanted to open up to, right down to my very soul. I didn't want to at first, because I didn't want to get hurt like that again, but I chose to believe in you – in this thing we have between us now. I wanted to trust you and now…"

Droplets escaped and slid down Weiss's cheeks. "And now…" Breaths came out ragged, Weiss trying to clamp down on so much but her composure was breaking. "Why are you hurting me?"

How small and pathetic the question was astonished Ruby more than her partner's previous shout. She could do nothing but stare, Weiss sticking her with the blame as long as she could before her arm came up, viciously wiping at the wet streams that were gaining momentum down her cheeks.

Since she was a little girl, Ruby had always wanted to be a hero. She wanted to go out there, right into the path of danger and take it on herself so that others would be safe. Her Semblance was a manifestation of that desire – to be able to run fast enough and never be too late to save the day. No matter the threat, no matter the odds, she wanted to face it and triumph over all. She had just always wanted to be like…like…

_…Like Mom._

That burst of pain thrust like a dagger, sharp and deep.

Summer had been like that. A full-fledged Huntress who couldn't ignore the call of duty. Always she would go out on missions, fighting monsters and defending the world, and she would always come back, unharmed, and take little Ruby in her arms to tell her about her victories, her daughter nibbling one of the samples of a fresh batch of cookies that she would bake when she came home.

Until there came the day when Summer didn't come back.

She had been a toddler, but Ruby could still remember the pain when it set in that her mother was gone. She remembered crying for days in her room, wondering why her mother had left her when she always came back all those times previously.

But then there was what came afterwards. The pain would still come to her like this but, because of just how young she had been when it happened, there was a different trigger for it. When Summer would be mentioned by Taiyang, Qrow, even Yang…when she happened to look through their family photos and see Summer…what would hurt the most was the memories that she didn't have and would never gain. Her dad, her uncle, even her sister – they had more memories of Summer than she did. They got to know her more, even if the difference was only a couple years in the case of Yang.

Really, the most that Ruby had and what she kept of what she knew of Summer was that she had been a hero. She had gone out there, she had been the one to fight monsters and save the world, and Ruby had wanted to be just like her. Focusing on that helped her forget about that day when she didn't come back. Instead of dwelling on her death, she would focus on how she lived and how she would be able to be just like her to help the people and the world. Maybe that would let her connect better to her mother in the place of memories.

She never thought of the dangers or the consequences when she would charge in just as she had been doing. Whenever she perceived danger, she went out to meet it without doubts.

Or care, as she was realizing now as she looked upon Weiss's wet face. It was hurting her partner – her friend – and one who did not come from a life such as hers. Ruby did know enough about what Weiss had been forced to go through when growing up; that there were no heroes for her to look up, nor friends or family, and those who were acquainted with her family became targets that she had learned to steer clear from.

Even with her near-death experience, Ruby was still braving on through and going out there as if she was invincible. Still trying to embody the image of Summer that was all she had…and leaving Weiss behind.

Weiss had seen her fall. Whenever Ruby left her behind, she feared for her safety. That if she wasn't there with her or was too late to catch up as she almost had been at the docks, Ruby would not come back alive as she did that time.

That time…

Ruby slid over to be better at Weiss's side. With the heiress still wiping at her tears, she didn't see Ruby's hands until they were taking her own and pulling them away so that they could be held gently between them.

"I forgot," Ruby said with a small smile. "I never said mine, did I?"

Weiss stared blankly at her with cheeks tear-stained and a bit of moisture still remaining on her face. She sniffed once.

"I do remember something of that time," Ruby continued. "When you saved me. I was somewhere dark and cold, but you still reached me. I felt the warmth of your touch that brought me back…and the words of a girl that I found to be so sad." Her smile lengthened. "Someone who would offer their soul as a guide and anchor to let me live so long as she breathed."

Those icy blues widened in recognition, Weiss's breath halting as she heard the words. The oath that she had cited to establish their bond. Her eyes widened even further when she glanced down and took note of the red Aura that sprung up around Ruby's hands, engulfing her own in the process.

"I heard yours, but I never said mine. The oath that I made as a promise to the person who cared about me so much." Ruby closed her eyes, the red outline of her Aura glowing brighter and encompassing all around her form.

"Cold and alone, without family or friend  
you will be never again. A shoulder to cry on,  
a hand to help you rise, happiness in your heart  
and joy in your eyes. Every day and night these you will  
know as never again will I leave your side."

When she opened them it was to see Weiss's Aura having responded, surrounding the heiress to present itself to Ruby's. Deep inside the formerly cold girl, the seed she had planted that sprouted in the thawing ground grew once more. Mystical nutrients of the soul feeding its stem to grow larger, the bud now upright and showing the earliest hints of bloom.

And within Ruby was that niche that a part of Weiss was embedded in; a place that exuded all that Ruby swore to give and more. The only addition was her pledge that she would remain close so that her partner would never have to fear losing it for as long as they both lived.

"I'm sorry, Weiss," Ruby apologized. "I've been pretty thoughtless, haven't I? I wish I could promise you that I won't go running whenever there's danger but, at the very least, I can promise that, from now on, I will make sure to slow down enough so that you'll be able to keep up and I can have my partner at my side."

Weiss's cheeks were still stained, her eyes glassy, but now there was a smile present that she wasn't afraid to show now that she had this certain proof or Ruby's sincerity.

It was here that Zwei, deciding that he was being ignored for far too long, stood up and licked at the tears.

"Alright, alright!" Weiss giggled, hand pulling away from Ruby's so that she could push the corgi away. Not too far though as she cupped his face, rubbing it adoringly as she cooed, "You're cute. Yes you are."

Zwei barked happily and Ruby stood up on her feet. When Weiss switched back to her leader, it was to see Ruby holding out a hand to her.

"Ready to go for our next adventure?" she questioned, another warm smile appearing. "Together?"

Weiss reached up with that same hand and clasped it with Ruby's as she declared, "Together."

* * *

High above, an individual watched the small red and white dots past the ticking hands of the clock when they finally stood and began their trek back to Beacon.

Behind him, a voice spoke up. "Ozpin?

A chin lowered in order to sip from a steaming mug while he tracked their journey back to Beacon.

The voice spoke again, this time with the agitation of one who was being ignored. "Ozpin!"

Ozpin's chair slowly swung around to his desk so that he could view the holographic display that hovered above it. "Yes, councilman."

The three members of the Vale Council sat around a table on the other end – two men, one woman. The voice, retaining its hard tone, came from the man in the middle. "You've left us with no choice. The Vytal Festival Tournament cannot be broadcast, let alone held, if we are unable to ensure the safety of the citizens."

The headmaster said nothing in return, simply taking another sip from his mug, which earned him a loud and intentional clearing of the councilman's throat to bring his attention back to them.

"Therefore," the councilman went on, "we have reached out to the Atlas Council, and together have decided that the best option is to appoint General Ironwood as Head of Security for the event."

"Thank you, councilman." Having taken up only a small corner of the display with a showing of professionalism, Ironwood's image enlarged in order to take over the majority of the screen. The general bowed his head. "Our kingdom is happy to lend as many troops as it takes to ensure that this event runs as smoothly and safely as possible."

"And we thank you, general," the councilman returned politely, he and the rest retaking the screen.

"Will that be all?" Ozpin questioned with indifference.

The councilman's voice rehardened. "For now. But after this festival comes to a close, we are going to have a serious discussion regarding your position at Beacon Academy. General Ironwood's reports of these last few weeks have left us somewhat…concerned."

His gaze shifted over to James whose cool composure betrayed nothing.

"I'm sure you understand."

Ozpin maintained his stare, ignoring the final words of the councilman before he and the other members vanished, leaving Ironwood behind to dominate the display. The general did not so much as twitch.

"This is the right move, Ozpin," he attested. "I promise, I will keep our people safe. You have to trust me."

Ozpin did not offer anything in return, waiting until it was James who eventually broke their connection, leaving the headmaster to view the turning gears of his desk. His chair swiveled around, bringing the clock window back in sight, but instead of looking down at the campus, he looked up towards the dreadnaught that hovered just beyond the cliffs of Beacon Academy, focusing on where he expected his friend to be standing and looking back in return.

He didn't rest on it long – only to when he deemed it to be enough before he expected James to turn away and return to his duties. Once that moment came, he turned to regard something else off to the side: a short table, atop of which was a chessboard with the game pieces situated in their orderly battle lines.

Maybe at one point, years ago, someone could argue for the comparison between war and chess. Two opponents with equal forces on a level playing field.

However, for Ozpin he had played one for long enough and experienced the other, in his opinion, too many times to know that the comparison was false in this age. The kind of conflict that was being played was not one that was being carried out in the open as it was out of sight, between a force that greatly outnumbered and was far more equipped than the other and he had seen for himself that the one they were playing against, though the inferior, was growing in numbers and strength in spite of its initial weaknesses.

Equality being one prime factor in chess that did not translate to war, there was also that of a level playing field. Every battle that was waged in chess was done in that eight-by-eight grid. There was nothing beyond it. No blue pieces suddenly sweeping in to attack one or even both sides. No other threats or complexities that the two players have to worry about save for what they brought to the table. They could focus entirely on this little eight-ranked universe.

War was not as simple as chess...but people could yearn and be seduced by that simplicity. Want it, and let it delude them into believing that they could see everything and achieve victory with the right strategy. Maybe that was what could allow tactics that were meant to be restricted to chess to be applied to war.

Scanning the two rows of the black force, Ozpin picked up one of the center pieces at the back to hold it up.

He wondered if they were being led along by the Queen's Gambit. Start the battle off by sending such a powerful piece into the front lines. Use its movement advantages and high rank to bait and lead the enemy pieces along, setting them up for a trap. As this was war where there were no limits to the battlefield, the attack could be carried out with a level of surprise and intensity that could result in enormous casualties.

But there was no guarantee of survival for the queen. It was powerful but it could be sacrificed. More importantly, it could be replaced, even by a piece that had started off as a lowly pawn.

_Because for all the power that the queen possesses…_

Ozpin set the chess piece back down, right next to the most important piece of all.

_It is no king._

* * *

After the conference with the Vale Council ended, Ironwood reoriented to better gaze out through the viewing window of the dreadnaught towards Beacon Academy. Specifically, the top of the high tower where the headmaster's office was located.

"You brought this on yourself," the general accused. There was the bitterness that had built up during the weeks. Weeks with his friend having done nothing to prepare despite all the resources that he had offered him and look what happened.

But beneath that bitterness was…regret. He hadn't wanted it to be this way. They could've done this together. Work side-by-side, upholding the peace of Vale and, potentially, all of Remnant.

But what choice did James have? A city breached, Grimm having desecrated their sanctuary, and it was only by sheer happenstance that they had been able to stop it before it was able to spread and get worse.

This may not be the best thing to do but it was, without question, the right thing to do.

James had lowered his head in response to what he was sure was the ridicule if not outright condemnation that was being sent across the miles between his ship and Beacon Tower, taking what he thought was the suitable amount of time to express that shame he nonetheless felt with his actions, and then forced himself to move onto business.

Back straight, fists clenched, and eyes solid, James walked along the line of containment cells, his destination the one that had a pair of his soldiers standing on guard. He took his regret, his shame, his sorrow, and pushed it all down.

He kept his anger not only to use as the proper motivational tool but to direct it at the one who was locked inside as it was he who deserved a portion of it.

His soldiers came to attention and saluted smartly. With his hands clasped behind him, James sent a signal from his prosthetic to the cell door, the lock recognizing his electronic ID and authorizing the opening of the cell door.

"Leave us," he ordered as soon as it opened.

The soldiers dropped their salutes, turned, and filed out from the brig.

James waited until they were out of earshot before saying into the cell, "I've been informed that so far you've refused to cooperate with the authorities."

Roman Torchwick, minus his hat, straightened to look at the general, a smirk appearing. "I know this might be hard to believe, general, but I'm not the biggest fan of local law enforcement."

A trait that James had predicted when he took it upon himself to have the criminal delivered to his flagship. Usually, custody would be going to Vale what with the fact that Roman's crimes were those that directly harmed the kingdom and its citizens. Along with the matter on how to deal with Ozpin, another subject that James had negotiated for was about what to do with Torchwick.

Given all that his military had done, the Vale Council had been almost too easily swayed by his suggestions which had landed Roman here.

"How about the world's strongest military power?" James queried, granting himself a proud grin.

"Hm…first impressions?" Roman examined his tiny cell. Barely any room to stand up straight and absolutely none to give more than the barest of movements for the prisoner. Other than the short bench he was sitting on, there was nothing in it. "Not great."

James erased his smirk. "I'm going to give you one chance."

Roman perked up, picking up on the obvious threat.

"Who's really behind all this?"

Roman leaned forward, enough to get him out from shadows of the cell and into the light, revealing a more serious expression. "Isn't it obvious?"

The general did the same, a brow raising as he wondered if, for just a moment, it would really be that easy to get a piece of intelligence that could bring this matter to a speedier close.

The grin returned and stretched wide across Roman face as he leaned back against his cell, arms held out as far as the cell walls would allow them as he declared, "You're looking at him!"

James sighed. He should've known better. "Very well, then."

"What's the matter, general?" Roman mocked when James began moving away from his cell. "I thought you wanted to talk!"

"The council has given me custody over you for as long as I see fit," James informed, his pace steady. "So you can make yourself comfortable. I can assure you that we'll have plenty of time to…talk."

He waited until he heard Roman's "Oh, wonderful" followed by the beginnings of a laugh before he sent another signal, this time to close the cell door and cut the man off.

 _Laugh it up while you can_.

Other than a select few, no one knew that Roman was here. With his crimes against civilization, a swift trial and brutal execution would undoubtedly be called for if his existence and his part in the assault against Vale were to become known to the general public. James would like to see how long Roman would last in that cell, alone, until he became a bit more talkative.

If he wanted to be given any kind of leniency, he won't wait too long although James rather liked the idea of having Roman spend the rest of his natural life in this prison. An anonymous prisoner who's care would be the responsibility of androids. Closed off from human contact and locked away in the heart of this dreadnaught or whatever hole that he could come up with later. Left to be forgotten.

While James was keeping him around on the off chance that he would provide useful intel, the general doubted that he would need it. Their enemies had failed in their assault. The materials and manpower that they had donated to it had been wasted, and for what?

No one would know about them. Other than Roman, all other evidence had been buried underground. A story was already circulating that the cause of the Grimm attack was due to a mix of structural weakness and malfunctioning machinery within the old subway tunnels. Thanks to the efforts of Huntsmen and Huntresses along with the timely arrival of the Atlesian military, the attack had been beaten back, the breach sealed, and efforts were already underway to make sure that a repeat would not happen again.

The last part was at least true and that was what mattered. Once the Vytal Festival was in full swing, everyone would forget about this. What would live on was the added trust from the people who had just witnessed how their way of life could be entrusted to their guardians without fear. Peace would be maintained.

In what he hoped to be in the near future, James would make sure that that would never be threatened again either. They had the advantage now. While their enemies were recovering from their defeat, they would track down the ones who were really responsible and he expected this brig to be quite full by the end of it. If they attempted another assault like that again, James would make sure that they were well prepared for it.

This was how he envisioned it to be one day although it went beyond that. There will come a time where peace would be about more than just the citizens. Those same guardians would one day be allowed to be given their rest – to lay down their arms that they had been forced to take up since human and faunus kind first walked across Remnant and encountered the monsters that inhabited it.

They would not need to ask their children to give up their innocence. The casualties that would come in future wars would be like what he had read in the report after the battle in the plaza had been concluded. Even if what he wanted would be achieved long after his time, he would at least be able to rest with the knowledge that everything he had done –the good and the bad – had all been worth it.

* * *

 _I don't think any amount of stitching is gonna fix this,_ Yang surmised while she examined her jacket in front of RWBY's shared closet. She was holding the garment in front of her, turning it around to better inspect the full extent of the damage that was at her jacket sleeve. She was a little amazed that it was still attached, the thinnest strips of leather all that was keeping it from falling away.

The dwindling energies of her Aura had caused its protection to shrink to a hairbreadth of her skin and the puffy quality of her jacket sleeves went beyond that. When the Creep had clamped down with its teeth, it had bit and torn into the unprotected fabric which was better than the flesh and muscle of her shoulder.

But it had been close, her Aura having been on the verge of failing. If she hadn't pulled it off when she did, she could only assume that her deltoid would be looking pretty similar to her jacket except much bloodier.

The speculation got her to remember the feeling of how those jagged tips had scraped along her Aura and it managed to instill a minor case of the jitters and one that Yang cured with a shot of optimism. "Guess I'm going to need to go shopping for a new one of these," she said a tad loudly. When she got no response, she added, "What do you think, Blake? Hit the city tomorrow, just the two of us? I think we earned that much at least."

Her girlfriend didn't say anything and she looked over to see Blake resting on her side on her bunk, covers pulled up and back to Yang.

 _Yeah, better idea,_ the hand-to-hand specialist decided. She placed her jacket in the closet which hung lopsidedly on its hanger due to the damage. _Dating plans later. Sleep now._

Blake must've drifted off only just now, she having been awake if already lying on her bed when Yang had exited from the shower and mustered up enough of her strength to put her strewn clothes away before she would retire on Blake's order. Thinking of how she was about to achieve her own sleep, Yang gave her hanging bunk a fond look before she went over and gripped the edge to boost her up.

"Yang?"

Yang blinked and looked down. "Blake, you're still awake? Thought you were asleep."

"Almost." She shifted on the mattress, enough so that she could glance back at Yang. "But I wanted to ask you a favor."

Yang tilted her head in question, her hands letting go of her bunk. "Sure, what is it?"

Blake patted at a spot behind her. "Could you sleep here? Just for today?"

Yang admitted to being caught off guard by the request. Apart from when she had slept with Blake the night before the dance, they had never shared the same bed before. Their dorm was a place that was the most private and, simultaneously, the most restricted place to demonstrate their relationship – either of which depended entirely on if Ruby and Weiss were present. With Blake so sensitive and private, even cuddling on the same mattress in the presence of their teammates was something she shied away from.

 _Although those two had no problems with snuggling,_ Yang quietly accused, remembering when she and Blake had returned to find Ruby and Weiss sleeping in each other's arms. As shocking as _that_ had been, she was aware of the circumstances that could've led to that and was later proven correct by the two blushing partners when they explained themselves to Yang in the morning.

The line of thinking led her to recalling those two dancing as well and suddenly Weiss's request to speak to Ruby alone at the airpad – something which Yang had been too tired to suspect anything – was making her start to wonder…

 _You know what? I'm still too tired._ The latest mental load taxed what reserves she had left, proving to be too much. _Let's end the day with some Blake cuddles and deal with it for another._

"Yeah, sure," Yang finally answered while she set down on Blake's bed, positioning herself behind the faunus. She didn't need to, but when Blake lifted the covers for her, Yang decided that getting under them was very appealing as it meant one less layer between her and her girlfriend. She was rewarded for that thinking when Blake pressed up against her and her arms slid around her slender waist to pull her close.

"You know," Yang added with a yawn before burying her face within Blake's tresses. "It doesn't have to just be for tonight."

Blake gave a noncommittal grunt but Yang didn't pursue, content with feeling her warmth and her presence before consciousness left her.

* * *

While Yang went to sleep, a disturbed Blake remained awake. With careful movements, she shifted her position just a bit, turning her head so that one human ear could come up against Yang's chest and listen to the stable heartbeat. On top of her head, her hidden cat ears listened to her breath through the covering of the bow that she breathed on.

Her hands went to where Yang's arms were folded across her stomach, holding onto them, and even attempting to pull them closer. Blake did anything that she could to bring Yang closer, needing to feel, hear, and smell everything she could of her human girlfriend in order to chase away this uncertainty that had been hanging over her ever since they had left Vale.

They had won. Triumphed against such odds and came back home in one piece. Their teamwork had been tested, and it held to see them all through to the end.

But why this growing sense of unease? And why is it that it got worse and worse when they put the battleground further behind them and came closer to Beacon? Why did she feel like her words to Ruby were trying to convince herself as much as they were trying to convince her leader as to their success? Why this growing need for contact – for support – that she desperately desired from the one person who had solidified her place in her heart and soul?

Why wasn't it working?

Blake closed her eyes, not yet sleeping, and tried to focus on the center of their sacred pact that was located deep inside. The center of their trust and their love which would help them endure anything that may come against them.

Why was it that the source of her worry was located there?

_"Closer than you think."_

A hand removed itself from Yang's arms, drifting up, and fingers clutched at a section of her yukata that was over the center of her chest.

_"And he has not forgotten about your betrayal."_

There was something there. Beyond the reach of the light, where shadows became darkness, there existed something grim.

It was there. Lurking.

Waiting.

* * *

Slender legs swung languidly from where they hung over the rail of the balcony, the glass heels occasionally clinking against the stone masonry. Being positioned on this relatively tall building, it was open to the frequent gusts that got the tail of the red minidress to flap behind her.

Eyes of tarnished gold flicked up, catching a passing Atlesian airship, and then focused back down towards Vale.

She had an impressive view of the plaza at this height and of the efforts that were still ongoing. The police cordon had been partially lifted, allowing select groups of civilians to return and recover what they could from their damaged homes and businesses. Officers kept watch, both for the safety of those people and to prevent looters from making off with valuables. With all critically-injured people already treated and sent on their way to the nearest hospital, the ambulances and paramedics that remained were stationed to treat minor injuries and what emotional damage may be setting in on the survivors. Temporary shelters had been set up for those who were told that it was still too dangerous to return to their structurally-unstable homes and didn't have friends or family who could take them in.

It was quite a mess, although the plan had intended for this kind of scene to stretch to at least a good half of the district rather than this tiny patch of cityscape. Alas, that kind of carnage was to remain in Cinder's imaginations as she wondered what would've happened had everything gone right.

To start, what would've happened had the attack been carried out at its intended date, days from now? When many of the first-years and, in extension, the veteran Huntsmen and Huntresses who were to shepherd them were either out beyond the limits of the kingdom or scattered within the city?

There would've been no one to stop the White Fang had they been able to break through and bring all their toys to bear. She expected those beasts in human clothing to be just as savage as the Grimm, firing away at human and faunus traitors alike, painting the entire plaza in blood. Paladins would stomp around, blasting buildings apart, and then turn their guns on the underequipped VPD when they rushed to the scene.

There would've been no cordon. No way to keep them back. By the time the nearest Hunters arrived, they would've gone beyond the plaza.

And all the Grimm had to do was follow in their wake.

Such madness and unadulterated chaos. Grimm attacking White Fang, White Fang attacking Grimm, innocent people torn apart by both, and all the Hunters, police, and soldiers dividing their efforts to stopping the invaders while protecting the people.

Eventually the attack would've been brought to an end once the Hunters and the military had been sufficiently rallied, but by the time that happened – oh, the destruction; both from the battle and when the defenders would have to scour every square inch of the urban territory to dislodge the last of the radical faunus and mindless Grimm afterwards. The despair that would've lingered would've kept the kingdom's borders harried for days to come. She would've loved to see how they enjoyed their little festival after something like that.

Cinder had to admit, it was quite an… _unpleasant_ surprise when she heard the sirens and saw the first Bullheads taking off from Beacon's airpads to head to the city. When Mercury had asked what they should do, even she didn't know the answer. Not immediately.

As for now?

Cinder swung her body around and pushed off the rail, setting herself back down on the balcony. She sauntered into the room where her underlings just arrived, the two looking uncertain with how things had occurred.

She decided to take care of most of their worries. When they looked to her warily, she generated a coy smile and declared, "All-in-all, I call today a success."

The birth of their shock was not unexpected as, when it came down to it, the plan had gone horribly wrong. However, in the grand scheme of things, Cinder much preferred the results that came from it rather than if everything had gone right.

Victory or defeat of one particular battle hardly ever impacted the entire war. What usually did was what occurred afterwards. If things had gone as they wanted it, there would've been chaos, terror, most likely distrust and instability of the government and its allies in the eyes of the citizens.

Their enemies would've been wounded with the next phases meant to finish them off. As sweet as that sounded, a wounded enemy was one who became more cautious, and a tragedy like the one she dreamed of could rally as much as it could destabilize the populace. It invited added complications that Cinder would rather do without.

What she would have now, was an enemy that was utterly _ignorant_. If she knew the likes of someone like Ironwood as well as she did, he would make sure to turn this around as a shining example of the fortitude of the military and the Hunters. He prided himself as a general but he could act as quite the politician when the opportunity presented itself. He would take full advantage of it, burying the truth and currying favor with the Vale Council who, in their gratitude, would pass on more of the responsibilities to him while taking it away from others who would be better suited to counter what would come later.

She lost strength and numbers, but what she would gain was positioning which was what she valued far more.

Killing a wounded enemy was satisfying in its own way, but what she was finding to be much sweeter was to kill one who was running high on their success - boosted up by a pillar of arrogance and confidence. They would see today as a victory, carry it with them, which would double their weight when they fell in the defeat that would come later.

Mercury and Emerald shared a glance that broadcasted their shared disbelief, but they knew better than to question her. They have proven to be useful so far, but they tend to think and act to what was right in front of them and not the bigger picture like everyone else – something that had created unneeded complications before.

Thankfully, they seemed to learn from those instances when, instead of arguing, Emerald frowned and said, "Those stupid kids really made a mess of things though."

"Ah, yes," Cinder all but purred. " _Them_."

She needn't say anything else, Emerald already producing her scroll. After a couple taps, she handed it over to Cinder.

 _A very interesting lineup,_ Cinder mused when she saw the four portraits. In this case though, interesting was a quality that was proving to be quite a nuisance.

A faunus who had once belonged to the White Fang and the youngest daughter to the Schnees. It proved Cinder's earlier point of how a setup that should instill chaos had instead become beneficial to her enemies. She suspected that this girl and her little bow carried quite the amount of the blame when it came to the discovery and deviation of her plans concerning the White Fang.

 _And this one,_ she thought as her gaze shifted to the white one, _could potentially do the same considering what else will soon be involved._ She was going to have to keep an eye on them. _Especially_ this _one._

A delicate nail slid over and tapped on the portrait all the way to the left, bringing the face and the name forward.

 _Ruby Rose._ Rolling it over in her mind, Cinder found the name to be suited to this girl. As pure as a gemstone, as pretty as a flower, but she had proven that she had the thorns that would prick any who would underestimate her.

This would be the fourth time that Cinder has found herself looking upon this face – two of which had been during combat. Ever since she began conducting her operations in Vale, it was this face that had been popping up since the start. Suffice to say, describing their encounters as coincidence was something that Cinder scoffed at.

She may have to deal with this one herself and take some extra pleasure in it. This girl was to be her prime example of what would come to the rest of these people as Cinder wondered just how much pride this girl was carrying thanks to her team's intervention. How confident was she that, after this victory, she and her friends could handle what was to come next?

Yes, Cinder was going to enjoy seeing the despair that would blemish this little gem and get those bright petals to wilt. Those thorns won't save her against the fires that would incinerate them.

"A lot of faunus didn't make it out of the tunnels," Mercury pointed out next when Cinder returned Emerald's scroll. "You still think the White Fang's going to listen to us?"

Cinder didn't let it show but this question did give her pause. She doubted that the leaders of the White Fang would find as much to gloat about as she did. She got them equipment, gave them access to this kingdom to roam free, promised them more, but they may disregard all of that when they saw what it had led them to in the end.

 _Would_ they listen to her?

The answer to her and Mercury's question came from the balcony. "No."

They all turned, none of them having heard or noticed him, but when they did, Cinder had to suppress a grin when the man walked in, dressed in a black trench coat with a sheathed blade clutch in hand. Well, not quite a man, given the slightly curved horns that stood within his spikey red hair, just above that white mask with the red detailing drawn on the front.

The latest piece that she had managed to coerce into joining the ranks of her army.

"But they'll listen to me," Adam stated.

* * *

_Wind chimes._

_Wind chimes that resonated within the eerie wind as Yang found herself walking down yet another path that she felt compelled to take._

_The surroundings were familiar. The standards that flanked the stone path, broken by an occasional red-leafed tree, and the high towers up ahead. This was Beacon but things felt…off. Other than there being no one around, everything seemed blurred to her sight; like looking through a camera that was slightly out of focus The wind that caressed her hair and clothing did not affect any of her surroundings, everything else remaining still._

_She couldn't help but get a strange idea that even though the ground beneath her was definitely solid and real beneath her feet, she was somehow separated from her home. She could see it, feel it, move through it…and yet there was something about the distortions that made her wonder if she and Beacon were separated in two different dimensions._

_Her…and the one who stood to greet her at the end of the path._

_Someone dressed in red and black, with feathered hair stretching out from the back of the raven-like skull mask that covered her head. There was a sword at her side but her hands were far from it, expressing no desire for conflict. Like Yang, she seemed to be the only one that could be touched by the wind that manipulated her hair and skirt._

_Yet when Yang came in front of her, her fingers curled in preparation for a fight, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the lower, human-like pair of red eyes that exhibited intelligence. "Who are you?"_

_She didn't answer right away – not with words. The woman lowered her head, a hand guarded in the segmented armor of a gauntlet grabbing the top of the mask to begin pulling it off. In so doing, a change occurred. The stiff, feathered strands of her hair softened and curled. The grayish-black color darkened to an inky black that banished the red streaks._

_Her mask discarded, the woman refaced Yang._

_Yang's eyes gradually widened. That human pair of crimson remained, the second having been removed along with the mask, and although the hair was black…she recognized the face instantly._

_For it was a face that she saw in the mirror every morning._

_"Yang." The barest hints of a smile emerged on the woman. "We have a lot to talk about."_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made a long A/N about it over at ff.net, but as to whether or not I'll novelize Volume 3, I'll give the short version here: we'll see. I'm going to be taking a bit of a vacation, enjoy some Halo Guardians while watching some Vol. 3, go through this fic again and edit it all, and when all is said and done we'll see what happens.
> 
> Just hope you all enjoyed this second novelization and that it got you pumped for Vol. 3!


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